Oh - oops - Galangal is not ginger

Lesser Galangal (Alpinia officinarum)

Wikipedia says otherwise and describes it this way;

However, it tastes little like ginger; in its raw form, it has a soapy, earthy aroma and a pine-like flavor with a faint hint of citrus.

.......

A mixture of galangal and lime juice is used as a tonic in parts of Southeast Asia. Medicinally, it has the effect of an aphodisiac, and acts as a stimulant.

More at Wikipedia, and I can see that I will want to get this galangal for use in my Thai cooking project. I want to try to be close to the real thing, and not the hybrided Western versions of the recipes. So galangal it is then. I wonder if I can grow it in my herb garden? From the picture below it looks kinda pretty -- Hmmm.


Kaempferia galanga