GALANGAL

Also known as: lesser galangal, small galangal, galanga, galingale, gargaut, India root, east India root, east India catarrh root, China root, Chinese ginger, Siamese ginger, ginger root, colic root, lille galangarod (Danish), Echter Galgant (German), gao liang jiang (Chinese).

Galangal is the rhizome of plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. The word galangal, or its variant galanga, can refer in common usage to four plant species all in the ginger family, namely: Alpinia galanga or greater galangal, Alpinia officinarum or lesser galangal, Kaempferia galanga, also called kencur, aromatic ginger or sand ginger, and Boesenbergia rotunda, also called Chinese ginger.

Galangal is closely related to and resembles ginger. However, while ginger tastes a little like galangal, in its raw form galangal does not taste the same as common ginger and is often swapped in for ginger when used with children. Galangal is available as a whole rhizome, cut or powdered. The whole fresh rhizome is very hard, and slicing it requires a sharp knife.

Health benefits
AROMATIC GALANGAL
• Fevers: anti-pyretic (reduces fevers)
• Analgesia: migraine, muscle sprains
• Anti-inflammatory: asthma, rheumatism, arthritis, chronic bronchitis, gums, throat
• Anti-bacterial: colds, acne, anthrax, staphylococcus, streptococcus
• Anti-fungal
• Digestion: stimulates appetite, production of digestive fluids, weight loss, diarrhoea
• Hiccups, nausea, vomiting, chronic gastritis and ulcers in the digestive tract.
• Blood detoxifier
• Regulates menstruation
• Eye fatigue
• Motion sickness, morning sickness
• Invigorates the body

ALPINIA GALANGAL
• Anti-inflammatory: arthritis, rheumatism
• Gastrointestinal: stomach ulcers, gastric pain, promotes appetite, diarrhoea
• Improves blood circulation
• Tonic: spleen
• Skin: scabies, ulcers, irritations