Description
Alpinia galanga
A root spice closely related to ginger but used differently and with a different aroma. The pinkish brown powder is spicy and aromatic, reminiscent of cinnamon and ginger with a hint of rose and eucalyptus. Wonderful rubbed into a beef roast. Galangal also goes well with fish, try adding a pinch to sauces and stocks. Experiment by adding a teaspoon to a coconut sauce for chicken, foil wrapped fish, sautéed vegetables or the water used to cook rice. A popular spice in the Middle Ages (Chaucer mentions it) is widely used in mediaeval cooking and hypocras. If your recipe calls for sliced galangal use one teaspoon of powder to replace one slice. You may come across Vietnamese galangal which has a grey rather than pinkish colour and a coarser flavour than that which comes from Thailand.
