galangal

• galingale, galanga

From Middle English galyngale, from Old French galingal, from Arabic خَلَنْجَان (ḵalanjān), from Persian قولنجان (qulenjân, qulanjân), from Sanskrit कुलञ्जन (kulañjana), perhaps from Chinese 高良薑／高良姜 (gāoliángjiāng), from 高涼 / 高凉 (Gāoliáng) (a prefecture or county in China) + 薑 / 姜 (jiāng, “ginger”).

• IPA^(key): /ɡəˈlæŋɡəl/

• Audio (US):

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galangal (countable and uncountable, plural galangals)

1. Any of several east Asian plants of genera Alpinia and Kaempferia in the ginger family, used as a spice, but principally Alpinia galanga.
   • 2008, Carol Selva Rajah, David Thompson, Heavenly Fragrance‎^[1], page 144:

     The refreshing aroma of galangal acts in combination with and as a contrast to lemongrass in many recipes in this book.

   • 2023 July 15, Rachel Cooke, “No, Nigella – dinner parties are great. Deliveroo just doesn’t cut it”, in The Observer‎^[2], →ISSN:

     Another time, she dined in Hampstead, where she was fed a version of stargazy pie with a whole squid where the eel should have been. It was flavoured, for the full medieval effect, with galangal, which her hostess described as “kind of like frankincense”.

• greater galangal (Alpinia galanga)
• lesser galangal (Alpinia officinarum)

• galangal on Wikipedia.Wikipedia