SC - galingal

[lilinah at grin.net]

Cairistiona wrote:
>Oh, and by the way, I went to a jenever (gin) museum the other day - very
>nicely laid out with touchy feely exhibits all over it.  The sacks of spice
>for flavouring were especially good.  I was particularly interested in the
>galingale (which, yes, they still use), since I had not been able to lay my
>hands on any until then (no pun intended, but it was rather fun to run my
>hands through a sack of the stuff).  What struck me most was the fact that
>it smelt so much like a mild turmeric.  Do the two taste similar?  Could one
>use a _little_ turmeric to replace galingale in recipes?

In a word, NO.

Ginger and galangal are botanically related, but while both are similar
looking rhizomes on the outside (looking a bit like ginger), their internal
color, smell, and flavor are quite different. I suspect that you smelled
must have been a bit old and stale, since galangal has a rather resinous
smell which is also a tad sharp, unlike turmeric. The powder, like the
interior of the root is beigy, not yellow like turmeric.

You can find galangal fresh in Thai markets, where it is called Kha. They
also often have *fresh turmeric* rhizomes, too - a revelation compared to
dried powder. In my experience in Indonesia, turmeric is used only
sparingly in cooking, but is used frequently in herbal medicines.

Galangal is extensively used in Javanese cooking, so you can buy the dried
powder from Indonesian and some Dutch markets. The Indonesian name is Laos.
Galangal is available through many mail-order spice vendors.

Commenting on others' comments:
Kencur isn't laos and doesn't taste the same, at least to me, having lived
in Indonesia for a couple years, but if you want to experiment with other
rhizomes in the same family as ginger and galangal, most places that sell
kencur will also have kunci, similar yet different. These are also
sometimes available fresh in Thai markets.

Anahita Gaouri bint-Karim al-hakim al-Fassiyyah



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