Galangal
Galangal
Galangal is a gnarly-looking root that looks a little like ginger, the skin is a different color-more red than brown. The inside is perfectly white (unlike ginger’s yellow-tinted flesh). Also known as Siamese Ginger, this root is an important ingredient in Thai cuisine, and also a spice with an interesting history that includes numerous medicinal properties and applications. It’s taste is slightly sweet, “perfumy” taste and scent. While not exactly “hot” like a chili, galangal has a sharp pungency. Galangal can also be dried and powdered. When purchased in this form, it is often referred to as “Laos Powder”; however, as with most herbs, fresh is usually preferable to dried. In Thai cooking, fresh galangal adds flavor and depth to many dishes such as soups and curries. Galangal is sometimes referred to by Thai cooks as a “de-fisher”, since it is known to help eliminate any unwanted “fishy” smells from shellfish and other seafood dishes.
Galangal is now grown in most Southeast-Asian countries, but was first harvested for use in cooking and medicine in China and Java. But by the Middle Ages, galangal had traveled extensively, and was already in common use throughout Europe. During the 13th-14th centuries, galangal was used by the Turkic peoples (who occupied much of present-day Russia) as a tea, and by the Arabs as a stimulant for their horses. It was used extensively throughout the East as a snuff for nasal infections, and in both Europe and Asia as an appetite stimulant and aphrodisiac.
Today, galangal is still in use in Russia, where it is used to make vinegars as well as liqueurs. It also has a thriving market in India, where it is not only valued as a spice but also as a perfume to make deodorants. Presently galangal remains, however, most commonly used in Southeast-Asian countries like Thailand, where the spice is not only a medicine, but has become part of the daily diet.
Galangal can be purchased at most Asian/Chinese food stores and markets; however, it is rarely sold fresh. More often than not, galangal can only be found frozen or already processed into powdered form.