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Galangal

Vegetables · Aromatic roots & stalks

Galangal

Hard, pale rhizome with a peppery, piney citrus flavour; a key aromatic in Thai and Indonesian cooking.

Also called: kha, lengkuas, blue ginger

27 recipes with it

Read the full spice guide: flavour, history and how to use it

Photo: Ruth Hartnup from Vancouver, Canada, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-2.0)

What it is

Galangal looks like ginger but has smoother, paler, pinkish-ringed skin and very hard, woody flesh. Its flavour is sharper, more piney and peppery than ginger, and it is not interchangeable in all dishes. It is a relative of ginger, not a form of it. It is sold fresh, frozen, dried in slices or ground.

Alpinia galanga

How it’s used

  • Sliced into tom kha and tom yum
  • Pounded into curry pastes and rendang
  • Simmered in soups and braises
  • Infused in Indonesian and Malaysian sauces

Characteristics

Taste
Peppery, citrusy and piney.
Aroma
Sharp, resinous and camphor-like.
Texture
Very hard and fibrous.
When cooked
Slices stay woody and are usually not eaten; grating is hard, so chop finely or pound.
Sold as
fresh, frozen, dried, ground
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Mainly a seasoning

Storage

Refrigerated. Refrigerate wrapped or freeze in slices; it keeps its flavour well frozen.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
80 kcal
Protein
1.82 g
Carbohydrate
17.77 g
Fat
0.75 g
Fibre
2 g
Sugars
1.7 g

USDA FoodData Central: Ginger root, raw (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Fresh ginger — Use a little less fresh ginger with a squeeze of lime; noticeably different but workable.

Related ingredients

Recipes with galangal

See all 27

15 more

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