Herbs and Spices: There is Ginger and Then There is Blue Ginger

Spice Spotlight: Blue Ginger or Galangal 

One of my favorite Asian TV chefs is Ming Tsai. He had a restaurant called Blue Ginger, which sadly, closed in 2017, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. I never really thought about the name of his restaurant until I learned that there is a plant called “blue ginger”. 

It is not in the ginger root family but it looks like ginger; and its stems have beautiful blue flowers. So people call it “blue ginger”. If you accidentally put galangal or blue ginger in your recipe thinking it is ginger, you'll know as soon as you taste it that you made a mistake. Although, you might not mind the difference in the flavor.

This tropical plant is native to Indonesia and is a seasoning that adds flavor to numerous Southeastern Asian dishes. Blue ginger is used as a ornamental plant for home or garden; as well as a cooking ingredient. Also, like most herbs and spices, it has medicinal purposes.  

(NOTE: Also called Thai ginger or Siamese ginger.)

REFERENCES:

PropagatingBlue Ginger: Tips On Growing Blue Ginger Plants

Top6 Galangal Nutrition facts and Health benefits

What’sthe Difference Between Galangal and Ginger? | Kitchn

(The Kitchn article shares recipes that use galangal and recipes that use ginger.)

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Galangal is available on Amazon in Grocery and Gourmet.

All About Tropical Plants - How to Buy, Store, and Use Galangal |Food52

Ingredient Spotlight: Galangal, the ‘Thai Ginger’ You Need in Your Pantry – One Green Planet