Galangal
Alpinia galanga · 高良姜
Spices. Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine.
Also called Greater galangal, Thai ginger, Galingale, Lengkuas, Kha
Pinyin: Gāo Liáng Jiāng
Spanish: Galanga
Sanskrit: कुलंजन (Kulanjan)
A pungent root from the ginger family, used in Thai and Southeast Asian cooking and in traditional medicine for digestion.
Did you know? The old English name galingale comes from the Arabic word khalanjan, and medieval cooks used the root.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Digestion & gut health. Used in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine for stomach upset and gas. Good human trials are missing.Traditional proof
- Inflammation. Compounds from the root calm inflammation in lab and animal studies. Human trials are missing.Traditional proof
- Infections. Extracts slow some bacteria and fungi in lab dishes. Human evidence is lacking.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Ayurveda uses kulanjan, the same plant, to kindle digestion and calm excess kapha and vata. Chinese medicine uses the closely related gao liang jiang (Alpinia officinarum) to warm the stomach and ease cold-type upper belly pain.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Carminative, Anti-inflammatory, Antimicrobial. Energy: warming.
- Ayurveda
- Calms Vata and Kapha. Taste (rasa): pungent, bitter. Energy (virya): heating. After digestion (vipaka): pungent. Deepana (kindles digestion).
- Chinese medicine
- 高良姜 Warm the interior. Nature: hot. Flavour: pungent. Enters the Spleen and Stomach channels.
How people take it
Fresh or dried slices are simmered in soups, broths and curries, as in Thai tom kha. Tea is made by simmering slices. No standard medicine dose is set.
Food, tea and powder.
Where to get it
Grows in tropical Southeast Asia and India. Sold fresh in Asian groceries, dried as slices, and ground; extracts and capsules are sold as supplements.
Be careful
Food amounts are considered safe. Rare allergic reactions may occur, especially in people sensitive to ginger-family plants. Medicine-size doses have little safety testing.
Avoid if: pregnancy (medicine doses).
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
A close relative, used together in Southeast Asian and Indian cooking.
- Works well together
A classic pair in Thai soups and curry pastes.
- Works well together
Often used together in Southeast Asian curry pastes.
The honest take
Galangal is a flavorful food spice with an old place in two medical traditions. Most health claims come from lab work on its compounds, and human studies of its medicine uses are lacking. Good proof that it helps a specific illness is missing.