Native to Southeast Asia, galangal root looks so similar in appearance to ginger that it’s sometimes referred to as “Thai ginger”’ or “Siamese ginger.” While ginger is used more universally, galangal is specifically utilized in Southeast Asian cuisines, such as Thai, Indonesian, and Vietnamese cooking. While the two may look alike, galangal has a very different flavor profile from ginger, so they’re not often used interchangeably. But don’t write off this spice just yet. Galangal adds unique flavor and offers a variety of health benefits when used in certain dishes.
Taste
Galangal can give a little extra zing or kick to sour soups and dishes, says Catherine Ko, RDN, a Los Angeles-based dietitian says. And while ginger and galangal (along with other spices like cardamom and turmeric) come from the rhizome family, each of them is actually quite different when it comes to their flavor: Ginger tends to be rather spicy and not at all sweet, while galangal offers a sharper, citrusy flavor. Galangal also has smoother and paler skin when compared to ginger, as well as harder flesh that needs to be sliced, as it’s more difficult to grate compared to ginger.
Benefits
According to Brigitte Zeitlin, RD, founder of BZ Nutrition in New York City, galangal has also been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for centuries and is gaining recognition in traditional medicine as well. Read on for some of the most notable benefits of galangal root. Additionally, more research is needed to determine how much galangal root humans can safely ingest when trying to reap these health benefits and avoid any potential side effects. “It’s usually more convenient for galangal to be pureed in order to add it to recipes and prevent clumping or biting into hard chunks throughout your meal,” Tafur explains.“This may be how you’ve seen ginger in the fresh produce aisle lately as this method prolongs its freshness and prevents molding.” “You can also store pureed galangal in the freezer, so you can easily toss it into soups [such as Tom Kha, a popular Thai coconut soup], smoothies, or stir-fries,” Tafur says. “Depending on the flavor profile you’re seeking, this will generally dictate how much of it to use.” Ko also recommends slicing or mincing the root in order to fully ingest it. “Utilizing this spice to flavor food is also an effective way to reduce salt intake, which can further improve blood pressure levels,” she says. Since galangal is a spice similar to turmeric, Zeitlin recommends incorporating it into your cooking and food prep in similar ways as you would with turmeric, or adding both spices to the same dish. “I add it to my vegetable stir-fries, mix it into my homemade salad dressings, and add some to my matcha lattes,” she says.
