Galangal

This spicy root, similar to ginger in appearance and preparation, is used in Southeast Asian cooking, particularly in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Galangal has a tougher, woodier texture than ginger and needs to be chopped or sliced very thinly before use. Use in soups, curry pastes or in recipes that call for ginger. Buy galangal with pinker stems as these are fresher than the browner ones.