Galangal

Similar in appearance to ginger, galangal is most often used in Indonesian and Thai cooking as a flavoring for soups, curries, and sauces. It has a distinct and exotic pine-resin flavor. The best place to find galangal is in Thai or Indonesian specialty food stores, where it is called kha or laos. Galangal can sometimes be found fresh but is usually sold frozen, either whole or in slices. Powdered dried galangal is also available, but it is much less aromatic than fresh or frozen.