What Is Galangal?

Galangal is ginger's more citrusy cousin, a rhizome used often in Asian, Southeast Asian, and Indian cooking. It's peppery and spicy with a zesty bite and a hint of pine. While galangal isn't as easy to find as ginger, it's an ingredient worth seeking out and can be sourced dried, powdered, and fresh.

What Is Galangal?

While used as a spice and aromatic, galangal is a rhizome, which is an underground plant stem that sends out shooters to spawn new growth. It's in the Zingiberaceae family (also called the ginger family) and related to the spice ginger. It has a similar appearance to ginger, thin-skinned with tube-like lengths that branch off into nodes. Though ginger and galangal are similar and used in similar ways, galangal has its own nuances. It is used in many countries' cuisines including Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Laos. 

Varieties of Galangal

There are three varieties of galangal that have been dubbed lesser galangal, greater galangal, and light galangal. Lesser galangal originated in China and has a more peppery bite and tartness than the other rhizomes. Greater galangal is a taller plant and grows in Indonesia, specifically the island of Java, and has a more mild flavor. Light galangal comes from the Eastern Archipelago in southeast India, and this type is closest to true ginger in flavor. Of the three varieties, lesser galangal is the most common and easiest to procure.

Galangal vs. Ginger

It's easy to see why ginger and galangal get confused. Not only do they look almost the same, but galangal is often called Thai or Siamese ginger. While both are rhizomes from the same family, they each offer unique flavors. True ginger is spicy and earthy with a bit of sweetness and moisture interlocked in the fibers. Galangal has more of a piney, citrus-tinged flavor and is denser and drier. Both can be dehydrated and/or powdered, and both need to be peeled when fresh. You will sometimes see recipes call for galangal with ginger offered as a substitution.

Fresh vs. Dried

Fresh galangal is more flavorful overall and the peppery notes really come through. Dried and powdered galangal can be used too, though it loses a lot of the nuances that make this spice handy in the kitchen. Overall, it's best to source fresh galangal whenever possible. 

What Does It Taste Like?

Though galangal looks like common ginger, the flavor proves less spicy with more of a pepper backbone. There's also a citrus tinge to the rhizome that plays well with lemongrass and fresh fruits. This lemony side also gives galangal a bit of a cool pine taste, which can come out through its scent as well.

Cooking With Galangal

To cook with galangal, treat it a lot like ginger. Fresh galangal needs to be peeled, which can be done with a spoon or a paring knife. Make sure to mince fresh galangal well or slice into thin pieces since it's a dense food without much moisture. Grating is the best method, and from there it can be added to sauces, marinades, curries, stir-fries, and soups.

Dried, powdered galangal is also available on the market, and it can simply be measured out by the teaspoon. Because galangal is a strong spice, use it sparingly while getting a handle on how peppery it can be. In general, dried galangal is less potent than fresh, so keep that in mind too when cooking with the spice.

Recipes With Galangal

While galangal and ginger aren't exact substitutes for each other, that doesn't mean you couldn't experiment with the spice to see how it changes a dish. Fresh galangal is going to offer more flavor, but dried and powdered galangal is easier to find. Try galangal in one of these recipes, even when ginger is called for.

• Thai Stir-Fried Vegetables
• Carrot Ginger Soup With Almonds
• Vegetarian Thai Green Coconut Curry

Substitutions

Ginger is the best substitute for galangal, though start with a three to four ratio ginger to galangal. Use fresh ginger to substitute for fresh galangal, and powdered ginger to substitute for powdered galangal. Adding a bit of lemon juice to the ginger is also helpful when wanting to recreate the citrus nuances of galangal. 

Where to Buy Galangal

The best place to buy galangal is from an Asian market, especially if it leans toward Southeast Asian ingredients. It's not a common component in American cooking and often gets overlooked in the spice aisle of major grocery stores. Some smaller specialty shops may carry it in powdered form in bags or spice jars, but rarely fresh.

When shopping for fresh, which is sold by the ounce or pound either loose or wrapped in packaging, look for galangal that looks plump (not dry) with no blemishes or mold. Galangal can also be sourced online and shipped. Aside from fresh, find it sliced and dried, as a powder, and dried in strips.

Storage

Keep dried galangal in the pantry in a dark, cool place in an air-tight container. Make sure no moisture gets into dried galangal or it can mold the rhizome. Fresh, unpeeled galangal keeps for a few weeks in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. If the fresh galangal is peeled, it will last a week or so, but tends to dry out unless it's wrapped well and kept from exposure.