What is krachai in Thai food?

Lesser Ginger or “Rhizome” Lesser Ginger, sometimes labeled “Rhizome” and called krachai (or gkrachai), in Thai, is one of the lesser-known Thai ingredients and can be hard to find. It’s an essential ingredient is many Thai salads and the occasional stir-fry (such as Sizzling Stir-fried Squid (Bplah Meuk Pad Chah)).

What does krachai taste like?

What Does Krachai Taste Like? Krachai has an unmistakable piquant, earthy taste that brightens every other ingredient around it, especially seafood. There is a definite heat to the herb that is unlike the raw spiciness of a Thai bird chili. The aroma is pungent to the point of being almost medicinal.

What is finger ginger?

Fingerroot is a kind of ginger (Zingiberaceae). It is an annual crop and indigenous to southern Yunnan Province, China, to west Malaysia, growing in tropical rain forest. It has an underground stem, known as a rhizome. This spreads into many bunches in the same way as banana, ginger, galangal and turmeric.

What is finger root used for?

Fingerroot can be used as used as an antiseptic for treating and healing wounds. Antiseptics help to prevent infections as well as help to retard or stop the growth of microorganisms or germs. Fingerroot is known for its strong antibacterial properties and as such effective for tackling bacteria.

How do you store krachai?

Tips: how to store turmeric and Krachai: Store in cool, dark cupboard, away from direct heat or sunlight in containers with tightly fitting lids. Fresh turmeric or Krachai unpeeled: wrap in a paper towel and place in a zip plastic bag can store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Can you freeze krachai?

Originating in Southeast Asia and Southern China, this plant grows from rhizomes that have the form of a cluster of long fingers. It is not much available fresh outside Thailand, but it is available in Asian markets frozen or put up in jars of brine. Both forms are quite acceptable for use.

Is krachai galangal?

There are also two very different types of galangal: greater galangal (which is usually known simply as ‘galangal’ or ‘kha’ in Thai) and lesser galangal (always referred to as ‘lesser galangal’ or ‘krachai’ in Thai). If you can’t find galangal, substitute with very young ginger.

What are the benefits of galangal?

13 Amazing Health Benefits of Galangal

• It Helps Fight Inflammation.
• Strengthens Immune System.
• It increases Sperm Count and Motility.
• Protects Against Cancer.
• Galangal is a Natural Antimicrobial.
• Galangal is Good For Skin.
• Galangal Supports Digestive Health.
• It’s Linked to Brain Health.

What is Black Ginger good for?

Black ginger, the rhizome of Kaempferia parviflora (Zingiberaceae), has traditionally been used as food and a folk medicine for more than 1000 years in Thailand. In Thai traditional medicine, black ginger has been claimed to cure allergy, asthma, impotence, gout, diarrhea, dysentery, peptic ulcer and diabetes.

What is galangal called in English?

ginger
The word galangal, or its variant galanga, can refer in common usage to the aromatic rhizome of any of four plant species in the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family, namely: Alpinia galanga, also called greater galangal, lengkuas or laos. Alpinia officinarum, or lesser galangal.

Is galangal used in Indian food?

Galangal is a rhizome in the same family as ginger, which it resembles in appearance and, to some degree, flavor. It’s common in the cuisines of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Singapore, and is occasionally used in parts of China and India.

What is Krachai and how to use it?

Krachai is generally either grated (most common) or sliced very thin for use in recipes. You can scrape the skin off if you wish but it hardly seems worth the bother. It is most commonly used in curry pastes and in fish dishes, but also with beef and as an aromatic vegetable.

What is the difference between ginger and krachai?

Krachai is used mainly in Thailand though some is used in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. Outside those regions it is almost unknown except dried as a medicinal in China. The flavor is milder and much more earthy than ginger or galangal.

What is the difference between Krachai and galangal?

Krachai is sometimes wrongly labeled “lesser galangal”, a very different plant. Krachai is used mainly in Thailand though some is used in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. Outside those regions it is almost unknown except dried as a medicinal in China.