HERB OF THE WEEK - GALANGAL

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Galangal, (Malay lengkuas) (also known as blue ginger),
is a rhizome with culinary and medicinal uses, best known in the west today for its contribution to Southeast Asia cuisine but also common in recipes from medieval Europe.

Africa / Early U.S. Slaves

Chewing John" is galangal, Alpinia galanga -- a member of the ginger family.
This is chewed much as chewing tobacco is chewed, to sweeten the breath and to calm the stomach.
It is said that if you spit the juice from chewing this root onto the floor of a courtroom before
the judge enters, you will win your case.

Thai soups similar to Tom Yam

Just had your first taste of Tom Kha Gai and your senses are still reeling from the exotic citrus flavor of something that clearly was not a fruit?
Did you bite into something so exciting and pleasant that you thought about forgetting the main course and simply ordering more soup?
The “kha” in that soup is a fantastic member of the ginger family called galanga or galangal.
It is native to Southern China and Thailand but was introduced to Europe in the 9th century,
almost 500 years before Marco Polo.

Galangal along with Turmeric are part of the 'Ginger' family.

According to contemporary herbal sources, galangal is a warming, digestive tonic with a stimulating and terminative effect on digestion. Simply stated, it promotes the secretion of gastric juices, aids peristalsis, and relieves gas in the gastrointestinal tract. Anyone who has tasted galangal knows this to be true; they may even recognize that it dispels those disturbing gases that make one want to heave after a heavy meal. What is less well known is that these very same gases, by-products of fermentation when digestive action is not strong enough to metabolize an entire meal, circulate throughout the system causing spasms, everything from hiccups to sharp cardiac pains. What terminative spices do is neutralize the gases so that they cease to exist! By doing this, the many symptoms of the invisible but gusty winds subside.