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Alpinia officinarum
Also called Chinese Ginger, Lesser Galanga
Lesser galangal is a rhizomatous ginger-family plant grown mainly for its aromatic, sweet-spiced rhizomes used in Asian cooking. It grows best in warm, humid, frost-free conditions with rich, moist soil and partial shade.
Alpinia officinarum, known as lesser galangal, is a plant in the ginger family, cultivated in Southeast Asia. It originated in China, where its name ultimately derives. It can grow 1.5 to 2 m high, with long leaves and reddish-white flowers. The rhizomes, known as galangal, are valued for their sweet spicy flavor and aromatic scent. These are used throughout Asia in curries and perfumes, and were previously used widely in Europe. They are also used as a herbal remedy.
Lesser galangal is native to China, growing mainly on the southeastern coast, including Hainan, and is also grown in Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is also cultivated in India. Hong Kong is the commercial center for the sale and distribution of the lesser galangal.
The galangal rhizomes were widely used in ancient and medieval Europe, where they were reputed to smell of roses and taste of sweet spice. Its use in Europe has dramatically declined.
Wild ginger · Greater galangal · Alpinia malaccensis · Black Fruited Galanga · Red ginger · Shellplant · Ginger Lilies
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Alpinia officinarum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
