[Sca-cooks] white ginger

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Samrah wrote:
>  I have a friend not on this list who had a question about "white
>  ginger" as mentioned in the Platina. Apparently the recipe said
>  something to the order of "use as much as you can afford". The
>  translation said "white ginger", but her take on the Latin (she's
>  had a bit) is that it might have been the white parts of the ginger.
>
>  Anybody have any ideas on this one?  Is there a white ginger plant
>  as opposed to a regular ginger plant?

I think that sometimes "white" does not mean the color white, but 
"clean"... I can't guarantee that's so in this case, but something to 
keep in mind.

Drakey wrote:
>  Powdered and dried Galingale is white (with a vague oyster grey tinge).
>  Could that be what Platina is referring to?

I suppose it could be, but the powdered galangal i have used for 30 
years is pale tan or pale yellowish-beige - and i've used more than 
one source.

Let me add, for those who have not tasted galangal, that despite what 
dozens of writers, professional and amateur, have said, galangal does 
NOT taste like ginger, and ginger is NOT a suitable substitute for it.

Urtatim, formerly Anahita