|
nature direct 2u
Most common oils
Chamomile Others Seeds
Glossary |
Galangal |
|
Alpinia galanga, Alpinia officinarum The spice 'Galangal' is the root/rhizome of an herbaceous plant which is native to China. Similar in appearance and uses to ginger, to which it is related, there are two main types: Greater, (Alpinia galanga), found in Malaysia and Indonesia, and Lesser, (Alpinia offciniarum), found in Indonesia.
Galangal is widely used in Indonesia and South East Asia, especially Thailand. Ground galangal (also called Laos powder) is commonly called for in recipes the flavour being similar to ginger, but flowery and intense. It is also known as galanga root and galingale. Used in England from the time of the Crusades, having been brought back from the Middle East, it warrants a mention in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, and is used quite frequently in The Forme of Cury, a recipe book written by the cooks of Richard II in 1390. In Europe, during the Middle Ages, it was known as an aphrodisiac and is still sold from herbal suppliers as a sexual stimulant. As with all exotic ingredients, galangal enjoyed a reputation for being powerful in European ‘magic’. It was used for protection and health; to encourage lust and desire; to attract money; to enhance and strengthen psychic powers; for breaking evil or malevolent spells. It has been used medicinally and possesses similar properties to those of ginger: stimulant, carminative and digestive. Galangal's anti-bacterial effect acts against germs, such as streptococci, staphylococci and coliform bacteria. This plant is used to treat loss of appetite, upper abdominal pain, and sluggish digestion. It relieves spasms, combats inflammation and has stress reducing properties. In Asia, this herb is also used for arthritis, diabetes, diarrhea, stomach problems and difficulty swallowing. It is especially useful in flatulence, dyspepsia, nausea, vomiting and sickness of the stomach, being recommended as a remedy for sea-sickness. It tones up the tissues and is sometimes prescribed in fever. Galangal is used in cattle medicine, and the Arabs use it to make their horses fiery. It is included in several compound preparations, but is not now often employed alone. The reddish-brown powder is used as a snuff for catarrh. The root contains a volatile oil (0.5 to 1.0%), resin, galangol, kaempferid, galangin and alpinin, starch, etc. The active principles are the volatile oil and acrid resin. Galangin has been obtained synthetically. Galangal oil is useful in respiratory troubles, especially those of children and is used as a flavouring agent in French liqueurs, in bitters of the angostura type and in some tobacco. It is used in Russia for flavouring vinegar and the liqueur 'nastoika': it is a favourite spice and medicine in Lithuania and Estonia. Tartars prepare a kind of tea that contains it, and it is used by brewers. In India, the oil is valued in perfumery.
DISCLAIMER: This page is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for accurate diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care professional. The author is neither a chemist nor an herbalist and has had no medical training whatsoever. The content herein is the product of research, not practical experience. |
