Galangal in the context of Commelinids

⭐ Core Definition: Galangal

Galangal (/ˈɡæləŋˌɡæl/) is a rhizome of plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, with culinary and medicinal uses originating in Indonesia. It is one of four species in the genus Alpinia, and is known for its pungent, aromatic flavor.

Greater galangal (Alpinia galanga) is most commonly used, and is similar to ginger and turmeric. It is native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. Lesser galangal (Alpinia officinarum) and other types are also used, though less frequently. In traditional medicine, galangal is used to treat various ailments. It is a common ingredient in Indonesian, Khmer, Lao, Malaysian, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, and is also used in some traditional Chinese medicine.

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👉 Galangal in the context of Commelinids

In plant taxonomy, commelinids (originally commelinoids) is a clade of flowering plants within the monocots, distinguished by having cell walls containing ferulic acid. Well-known commelinids include palms and relatives (order Arecales), dayflowers, spiderworts, kangaroo paws, and water hyacinth (order Commelinales), grasses, bromeliads, rushes, and sedges (order Poales), ginger, cardamom, turmeric, galangal, bananas, plantains, pineapples, and bird of paradise flower (order Zingiberales).

The commelinids are the only clade that the APG IV system has informally named within the monocots. The remaining monocots are a paraphyletic unit. Also known as the commelinid monocots it forms one of three groupings within the monocots, and the final branch; the other two groups are the alismatid monocots and the lilioid monocots.

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⭐ Core Definition: Galangal
👉 Galangal in the context of Commelinids
Galangal in the context of Ginger

Galangal in the context of Ginger

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of leaves) about one metre tall, bearing narrow leaf blades. The inflorescences bear flowers having pale yellow petals with purple edges, and arise directly from the rhizome on separate shoots.

Ginger is in the family Zingiberaceae, which also includes turmeric (Curcuma longa), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), and galangal. Ginger originated in Maritime Southeast Asia and was likely domesticated first by the Austronesian peoples. It was transported with them throughout the Indo-Pacific during the Austronesian expansion (c. 5,000 BP), reaching as far as Hawaii. Ginger is one of the first spices to have been exported from Asia, arriving in Europe with the spice trade, and was used by ancient Greeks and Romans. The distantly related dicots in the genus Asarum are commonly called wild ginger because of their similar taste.

View the full Wikipedia page for Ginger

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⭐ Core Definition: Galangal

👉 Galangal in the context of Commelinids

Galangal in the context of Ginger