Hua ye shan jiang
Alpinia tonkinensis
Family: Zingiberaceae
What it is like
A ginger family herb. The false stem is stout. The leaf sheath has lines along it. The leaf stalk is 3-6 cm long. The leaf blade is narrow and sword shaped and 60 cm long by 7 cm wide. It is leathery. It tapers to the tip. The flower panicles are erect. They are 40-50 cm long by 4 cm wide.
There are about 200-230 Alpinia species. They are mostly tropical and subtropical.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in the forests in S China.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Indochina, Laos, SE Asia, Vietnam
How it is used for food
It is used as a flavouring.
Edible parts
Rhizome, root, flavouring