Galangal

Alpinia galanga is sometimes called Siamese ginger; in Burmese it’s badai gaw. It’s a rhizome with a thinner, paler skin than ginger that is banded at regular intervals with fine lines. The smell and taste is resinous and aromatic. It’s used in Shan cooking and in Thai curry pastes. Galangal is now available in Asian grocery stores. A smaller amount of ginger can be substituted, to give a taste hit and a little heat, but it lacks the distinctive earthy resinous flavor of galangal. Dried galangal has no flavor and is not worth buying.