What Is Galangal and How to Grow It at Home

Galangal is a healing spice. It is closely related to ginger. Both of them are members of the Zingiberaceae family. One common name for galangal is Siamese ginger or Thai ginger. Like ginger, galangal is a popular ingredient—a stand-out flavor—in lots of Asian cuisines.

Unsurprisingly, as is the case with ginger, galangal is a respected medicinal plant. It is known to decrease inflammation, helping with ailments like arthritis and rheumatism. Galangal is said to quicken the metabolism and has antidiabetic effects that help with spiking blood glucose levels.

It gets attached to helping with other stuff: morning sickness, sore throats, fungal infections, and upset stomachs. The list goes on.

The galangal rhizome (a root-like underground stem) also looks quite similar to ginger. Galangal does have smoother skin than ginger, which tends to have a papery cover, and it is lighter in color. Inside, galangal has a harder texture than ginger. While most of us know these spices from the rhizomes, galangal leaves are also edible and can be used both raw and cooked. The berries, shoots, and flowers are also edible.

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Greater and Lesser Galangal

The galangal that is commonly used/found is one of two species: greater galangal (Alpinia galanga) and lesser galangal (Alpinia officinarum). Both are perennial and appear somewhat like reeds.

Lesser galangal originates from Southeast Asia, is native to China, and is also found in parts of India. It has reddish, slender roots that reach down like fingers, and its leaves are around a foot tall but can reach three feet.

Great galangal is from Indonesia. It has roots that are a little longer and thicker than lesser galangal. The leaves of greater galangal can stand some six feet high.

In both cases, the rhizome has a wood-like density but is reddish with a spicy, fruity aroma. The taste is similar, warm, and citrusy with notable spice. The “root” can be used fresh, or it can be dried and powdered for later use, a la turmeric and ginger.

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Growing Galangal at Home

Propagating galangal (and ginger and turmeric) begins with rhizome, and it is ridiculously easy to get started. The rhizomes have little nodes, from which leaves will sprout, that are similar to eyes on potatoes. If a rhizome has a node, better yet a couple of nodes, then it can be used to grow a new galangal plant. Even a store-bought galangal rhizome can be used to start a plant.

Once you’ve acquired a rhizome to plant, it can be grown in a pot, either as a pot plant (use a five-gallon or larger pot) or to be later transplanted into a garden. The rhizome should be buried a couple of inches or more deep and watered well.

Galangal is most definitely a warm-weather plant. It can be cultivated as an evergreen herb in USDA Growing Zones 9 and hotter, and in Zones 7-8, it can work as an annual crop. Even a light frost will seriously damage and likely kill the plant. In colder places, it works very well as a container plant, but it needs a good deal of sun. It also needs a consistently moist, but well-draining soil, a la a mature compost.

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Harvesting and Using Galangal

While it can be harvested at virtually anytime, galangal is best left to grow for ten months to a year. It can be dug completely up to use the entire rhizome, or the central part of the rhizome can be left intact and the edges harvested so that the plant keeps growing.

Generally, people use rhizome, and it can be approached much the same as ginger. Firstly, like ginger, the skin needs to be removed, and a spoon works well for this. Finely diced or shaved galangal works well in stir-fries, soups, and curries. It can also be candied and used in desserts.

Once galangal is growing, it’s very easy to keep and grow more year after year. It can be put into the garden and transplanted back to a container or simply grown in a container year-round. The trick is to always leave enough to grow a new plant and never let it get cold. A soil temperature of 60 degrees or more is ideal.

Related Content:

• Ingredient Spotlight: Galangal, the Thai Ginger You Need in Your Pantry
• Is It Ginger? Is It Turmeric? Nope, It’s Galangal!
• How to Make Your Own Spice Blends and Curry Pastes
• Weekly Spotlight: Benefits of Ginger, Matcha, Turmeric, and Cacao
• 10 Incredible Health Benefits of Ginger (With Recipe Ideas!)

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