Warm and spicy

If you’ve watched one of the cooking shows on TV, you’ve probably heard the word ‘galangal’ cropping up every now and again. A staple in Southeast Asian cuisine, it is becoming more and more popular globally and is also available locally. Because it is used so extensively in that region, it is sometimes called Thai ginger or Siamese ginger.

So, what is it? Galangal is a tuberous member of the family, which includes ginger and cardamom, and it is the root that is used for cooking. While a galangal tuber looks so similar to that of ginger that it’s hard to tell the difference, there are a few differences: the skin of galangal is smoother and lighter but the flesh is tougher. They also have a very different flavour profile: where ginger is all about sharp, peppery heat, galangal is more subtle with a citrusy flavour with a slight taste of pine and a bit of a bite.