Greater Galangal (laos) Big Galangal, Galangal Major, Java Galangal, Kaempferia, Siamese Ginger

Native to Java, and a tropical herbaceous plant of the ginger family reaching to about 2m (6 1/2ft). The blade-like leaves are long and wide, 50 x 9cm (18 x 31/2in); the flowers are greenish white with a dark-red veined tip. The fruits are red berries. The rhizomes are Orange to brown skin with pale yellow or white interior.

Greater Galanga is widely used in Indonesia and Malaysia as a food flavoring and spice. The rhizomes are longer than lesser galangal. Available as slices, 3mm (1/8 in) thick or powder.

Bouquet: Gingery and camphorous
Flavor: Pungent but less so than lesser galangal
Heat Scale: 5

The use of greater galangal is confined to local Indonesian dishes such as curries. Although known in Europe since the Middle Ages, galangal is now used only in Far Eastern cookery from Indonesia, Indochina, Malaya, Singapore and Thailand. Like ginger, galangal is a ‘de-fisher’ and so appears frequently in fish and shellfish recipes often with garlic, ginger, chili and lemon or tamarind. Laos powder is more important than kencur and, as well as with fish, is used in a wide variety of dishes such as sauces, soups, satays and sambals, chicken, meat and vegetable curries. Although used in the often very hot Indonesian cookery, laos powder enhances dishes such as chicken delicately spiced with fennel and lemon grass and gently cooked in coconut milk. However, these mild dishes are usually accompanied by vegetable or fish sambals fiery with chili.

French: grand galanga, German: Galanga, Italian: galanga, Spanish: galanga, Arabic: khalanjan, Chinese: kaoliang-chiang, ko-liang-kiang, Indian: barakalinjan, kulanjan, Indonesian: laos, Lao: kha, Malay: languas, lenguas, Thai: kha