Galangal
Galangal is a rhizome closely related to ginger but with a sharper, more citrusy and piney flavor, essential to Thai and other Southeast Asian soups, curries, and marinades.
How to buy
Look for firm, smooth rhizomes with pale cream to light pink skin, generally lighter in color than ginger; avoid shriveled or soft pieces. Frozen sliced galangal and dried slices are good substitutes for fresh if it's not available at your market.
How to store
Fresh galangal keeps in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks wrapped loosely, or freezes well for several months and can even be sliced or grated directly from frozen. Dried slices keep in a sealed container in the pantry for up to a year but need soaking to soften before use.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Sharp, citrusy, and piney with a peppery bite and an almost soapy-floral edge, more astringent and less sweet than ginger. It mellows somewhat once simmered into broths and curries.
- Texture
- Fibrous and noticeably tougher and woodier than ginger when raw, making it hard to grate finely; it softens when pounded into a paste or simmered whole in broth, though whole pieces are usually removed before eating.
- Aroma
- A sharp, citrusy-piney aroma that leans more astringent and medicinal than ginger's warmer smell.
How to prepare
- Pounded into a paste — Crushed together with other aromatics as the base of a curry paste.
- Sliced and simmered whole — Added to broths for flavor, then removed before the dish is served.
- Bruised — Lightly crushed to release its oils while keeping pieces intact for soups.
- Dried and ground — Used in powdered form in spice blends when fresh galangal isn't available.
Classic dishes
Thai
- Tom kha gai — A coconut milk soup where galangal provides the dish's signature citrusy backbone.
- Tom yum soup — A hot and sour soup that relies on galangal alongside lemongrass and lime leaves.
- Thai red curry paste — A pounded chile paste where galangal contributes sharp, citrusy depth.
- Thai green curry paste — A fresh herb and chile paste built in part on galangal's bright, piney flavor.
- Massaman curry — A mild, nutty curry whose paste includes galangal among its aromatic base.
- Panang curry — A rich, thick curry paste that leans on galangal for aromatic sharpness.
- Gaeng pa — A spicy jungle curry made without coconut milk, built on a galangal-forward paste.
- Thai chicken satay marinade — A marinade for grilled skewers that often includes galangal alongside turmeric and lemongrass.
- Tod mun pla — Thai fish cakes seasoned with a curry paste that frequently includes galangal.
- Pad kha — A stir-fry of pork with sliced galangal as the star aromatic.
- Tom saap — A spicy, sour pork rib soup flavored heavily with galangal and lime.
- Khao soi — A northern Thai curry noodle soup whose broth is built on a galangal-spiced curry paste.
- Gaeng som — A tart, spicy sour curry that uses galangal among its pounded paste ingredients.
- Larb dressing — A regional variation of the minced meat salad dressing that includes finely sliced galangal.
Vietnamese
- Vietnamese grilled pork marinade — A lemongrass-forward marinade that occasionally includes galangal for extra citrusy depth.