Alpinia galanga
[Languas galanga]
[ Zingiberaceae ]
[ South East Asia ]
Greater galangal is native to Java. It is widely used in Indonesia and Malaysia as a food flavouring and spice. It is also grown in India and the rest of South East Asia. Galangal was known to the ancient Indians, and has been in the West since the Middle Ages. Its stimulant and tonic properties are recognized by the Arabs who ginger up their horses with it, and by the Tartars, who take it in tea. In the East, it is taken powdered as a snuff, and is used in perfumery and in brewing.