Galingal

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A pungent, ginger-like root from Southeast Asian plants of the genus Alpinia, used to flavor food and in traditional medicine
2. The spicy underground stem of tropical Asian plants related to ginger, valued in cooking and herbal remedies
3. An aromatic rhizome resembling ginger in appearance, harvested from certain Asian species and prized as a seasoning

Etymology: Its journey began in East Asia. The plant was known in Chinese as "liangjiang," roughly "good ginger," and the name passed into Arabic as "khalanjan." Arab traders carried the spice across the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean, and medieval Latin writers took it up as "galanga." From Latin it reached Old French as "galingal," and Middle English borrowed it as "galingale," which is why English has more than one spelling. "Galangal" is the form most often used in modern cookery writing.

Synonyms: galangal