Nonya cooking ingredient Lengkaus or Galangal common name for the root of plant from the ginger family, is is also
known as blue
ginger, in Laos and in Indonesia, ka or kha in Thailand, and lengkaus in
Singapore and Malaysia.
Lengkaus or Galangal looks similar to ginger, but is more sour and peppery and can be
distinguished from it by its pink shoots and brown skin.
Iranian and Southeast Asian cooking take advantage of lengkaus or galangal's very particular
flavor, especially in soups and curries.
Lengkaus or Galangal is most commonly used to season meats, poultry, seafood and vegetarian
dishes and where unlike ginger, lengkaus or galangal is often removed before eating.
As well as being popular in curries it can be used to make vinegar, beer and
other liquors, something that has been done for centuries in Russia.