Malacca galangal, Giant white shell ginger
Alpinia malaccensis

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A ginger family herb. The false stem is about 3 m tall. The leaf stalk is 2 cm long. It is grooved. The leaf blade is sword shaped. It is 90 cm long by 15 cm wide. It is hairy underneath. It tapers to the tip. The flower raceme is erect. It is 35 cm long. The fruit is a capsule and is yellow and round. It is 2 cm across.

It is grown as an ornamental. There are about 200-230 Alpinia species. They are mostly tropical and subtropical.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in S China. In the Cairns Botanical Gardens. In Indonesia it grows up to 1,500 m above sea level. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Northeastern India, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The rhizome is occasionally used as a spice. They are dried. The flower buds have a sweet taste.

The young flower is a popular food in Thailand. It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Fruit, rhizome, root, flower, shoot

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds or division of the rhizome.

Its other names

Local names

Bunglai laki, Gong, Kaa paa, Laja gowah, Lengkuas malaka, Mao ban shan jiang, Min-taya-taba, Saliyeridumpa, Tara, Tar-gang

Synonyms

Alpinia nutans var. sericea Baker; Buekia malaccensis (Burm.f.) Raeusch.; Catimbium malaccense (Burm.f.) Holttum; Costus malaccense (Burm.f.) Holttum; Languas malaccensis (Burm.f.) Merrill; Maranta malaccensis N. L. Burman; See novae-pommer