I was down at my local farmers market on the weekend, and I noticed some Galangal root for sale.

This is great, as it can be hard to find in the shops and local markets at this time of year. I grow my own Galangal and it will soon be in flower and after the leaves die down it is ready to harvest.

Galangal root

If you haven’t tried Galangal, it is a member of the ginger family ginger. And, like ginger, is used extensively in cooking.

Galangal is found primarily in Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines. It has a hotter, more peppery taste than ginger with under-notes of pine and citrus.

To use it, add it to soups such as Thai Chicken and Coconut soup. Its also an important ingredient in many Thai curry pastes.

Depending which recipes you read, some say if you don’t have Galangal you can substitute ginger. Other recipes say that it is different and that ginger and galangal cannot be used interchangeably. I am in the latter camp as to me they have different flavours to contribute.

Galangal is closely related to Ginger and, as such, has many of the healing and medicinal uses attributed to ginger. It is said that consuming Galangal on a regular basis can help with digestion, reducing bloating, constipation and vomiting.

Like ginger, Galangal helps reduce motion sickness and nausea. It has proven anti-inflammatory properties, which means that it can help treat arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Galangal has been shown to improve blood circulation, improving oxygen supply and nutrient supply to the extremities including the hands and feet. As such it has been credited as assisting with hair growth and to treat baldness, although this is not proven.

It can also help respiratory problems. A mixture of Galangal and lime juice can be used as a tonic for coughs and colds.

As Galangal is high in anti-oxidants it helps to minimise the damage caused by free radicals and other toxins in the body.

Galangal is a tropical plant, although it grows well in Brisbane, and can be grown as far south as Melbourne with a bit of care.

It is an attractive plant, very similar to ginger with quite narrow strappy green leaves. I prefer to grow my Galangal in a pot as it makes it easy to harvest, but this becomes more of a necessity if you are going to grow Galangal further south than the central coast.

This way you can start growing your Galangal under shelter and move it outside as the weather warms up.

Galangal plant

Galangal is really easy to grow and is seldom bothered by insects or disease.

All you need to do is get a piece of Galangal root from your local market and plant it in good quality potting mix. Keep it moist, but not wet in a warm, sheltered location.

I find mine does best with some shelter from the hot afternoon sun. It takes about 8 months to grow a crop. But in this time you will be probably find that it has pretty much filled the pot, depending on how big a pot you started with of course!

Yes, that may seem a while but at between $30 to $50 per kilo it’s worth it! So why not try growing some today?

Happy gardening

Rohanne, your Personal Garden Expert

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The post How to grow Galangal in Australia appeared first on Delectable Garden.

I know I have!

It turns out that there is a really simple way of separating Herbs and Spices.

Basil is a Herb

Generally speaking a Herb is the green parts of the plant, and its mainly the leaves that are used.

A Spice is generally the berries, fruits, pods, bark and stems of the plant.

So Herbs are plants whose leaves we use such as basil, sage, thyme and even stevia. Meanwhile cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg are all spices.

Both herbs and spices can be dried, but most spices are used only when they are dried.

Herbs and Spices

Most herbs are better when used when they are as fresh as possible. Some of the essential oils that make them so valued in cooking can be lost during the drying process. They are often best added toward the end of the cooking process so that you don’t lose the essential oils and thus the flavour. There are exceptions to this rule, like with fresh rosemary which is added early on in the cooking process as it is fairly woody.

As a generalisation, spices are added at the start of the cooking process so the flavour can infuse through during cooking.

So, what is the difference between a herb and a vegetable?

A herb is used in small quantities to add flavour to a food, whereas a vegetable is used in larger quantities as part of the substance of the dish.

By this definition a vegetable can sometimes be a herb, or vice versa. For example, wild rocket used in a pesto is a herb, but used in a Rocket, Pear and Parmesan salad is a salad vegetable. Confused? I hope not!

Rocket

Below I have included one of my favourite recipes using the herb Rocket as a vegetable. I hope that you enjoy it!

Rocket, Pear and Parmesan salad

2 firm pears, cored and thinly sliced
Juice of 1 Lemon
125g baby rocket leaves, washed
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup shaved parmesan

Method: Sprinkle the pears with a little lemon juice to prevent them browning. To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and cracked black pepper in a jar and shake well to combine. In a large bowl mix the rocket, sliced pear, pine nuts and dressing and gently toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with shaved parmesan. Serve

Happy gardening 🙂

Rohanne, your Personal Gardening Expert

The post Herbs and Spices: The Difference appeared first on Delectable Garden.