Galangal Alpinia galanga, Alpinia officinarum The spice galangal is the 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, Laos (A. galanga), found in Malaysia and Indonesia, and lesser, Kenchur (A. offciniarum), found in Indonesia. The Latin generic name was given to commemorate Prospero Alpini (1553-1617), an Italian botanist who catalogued and described exotic plants. The common name is an adaptation of the Chinese Liang-tiang. Used in this country 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. 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 and digestive.