Searching for Kencur (Kaempfaeria galanga) (forum)

Rev starts with ...
This popular Se Asian ginger is wholly absent from markets here, even in the tropical north.
Ginger, galangal, turmeric have taken but this other major Asian ginger has been overlooked??

Someone must grow it.
I need a supply to my wife can prepare traditional bumbu (spice pastes) and herbal medicine called beras kencur that is men's daily tonic
I've got plants and they thrive up north in the wet in part shade
It's just a problem of supply! In Asia it Is dirt cheap but here nonexistent!
I also have jahe merah, dringo, cabe jawa, temu lawak

and working on getting other plants in and about like sirih merah, temu ireng,

Time: 29th December 2011 7:00am

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Rev says...
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaempferia_galanga

Time: 29th December 2011 7:05am

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Rev says...
http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Kaem_gal.html

Gingers are amazing
Ginger based medicines offer so much potential for our maladies

They detox, reduce oxidant loads, reduce blood pressure and heart rate, lower the inflammatory load in the body, kill cancer cells, thin blood, flush cholesterol..
They are a real darling actually :))
If you're into medical research on herbal medicines it's impossible not to be impressed by the efficacy and range of positive effects of the mmany gingers.
And safe omg. They are the benchmark for what good herbal medicine should be

Peppers (piper spp.)
And mushrooms are my other darlings :)

Time: 29th December 2011 7:18am

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Rev says...
I'll try to confine my contagion ;) but seriously this amazes me..
After all the research done on cucurmin fri
Turmeric, they are still finding amazing new reasons why it's so awesome :))
This time it's because it suppresses virulence genes in disease causing bacteria
Imagine that...
Not only do things clear and support, kill and inhibit
But now it's actually turning disease organisms into
Less harmful versions of themselves by manipulating the expression of their genetic code !!!!
And that's one component of one ginger. Curvumim isn't the only. Zerumbone is another compound of significance
I'm not religious but damn sometimes seems these gingers are all master compounded
remedies
Anyway I'm damn impressed :)

Time: 29th December 2011 7:40am

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Rev says...
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf072591j

Time: 29th December 2011 7:41am

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Mike says...
Rev you are right about us having a limited ginger assemblage available.I have seen at a few SE Asian markets the amazing assemblage of corms,rhizomes and ginger-like plants.Two of my gingers presumably Zinziber zurembet and a giant Curcuma (like a giant cape york lily) with amazing flowers are edible/medicinal and I don't know how to use them.

Time: 29th December 2011 8:44am

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Jantina says...
Great to see you back Rev.

Time: 29th December 2011 8:52am

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Rev says...
Thanks guys :)
What you have mike by the way u describe it
Is definitively a temu lawak
Curcuma xanthorrhiza by any other name :)
It's great
It's has 25% more curcumin than turmeric
And stimulates bile flow so is the preferred turmeric for cholesterol reduction
And It stimulates appetite...
I've also found it much easier to establish than regular turmeric

Time: 29th December 2011 9:45am

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Mike says...
Someone told me it was giant tumeric and they have big rhizomes that are aromatic.I have the thai deep orange tumeric that is more pungent and the philipine golden tumeric that also have a distictive taste and smell.I think a few of the asian people in the wet tropics have good ginger collections in their gardens.

Time: 29th December 2011 10:34am

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MaryT says...
Hi Mike would you know what caused my turmeric to lose colour? Perhaps it's the rain we've been getting in Sydney this year?

Time: 29th December 2011 11:33am

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MaryT says...
To answer Rev's original post I do have Kencur but it's only small; I bought it online (forgotten which nursery) so it is available in Australia.

Time: 29th December 2011 11:38am

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Mike says...
Mary T it could be the rain.Mine die back in June/July and resprout in December but deepens in colour as the weather gets hotter and drier during their dormancy.

Time: 29th December 2011 12:50pm

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Rev says...
There's 2 types turmeric here. A yellow type that barely registers as an orange but grows easily and fast
I can see how that might "wash out "
I have my doubts this plant is truly curcuma longa
Could be some other out of indian region?
The plant community Is small enough to track origins. Someone must rememember who brought home that original knob, even tracking it's country or ethnicity of origin is good.
I'll send robyn Francis message because I know she did a lot to disseminate it in the past
The other type is what if call true turmeric, it's got colour like omg! How about that freaking orange kind of orange!
Turmeric definitely gets richer with age also, just as ginger gets hotter.


Time: 29th December 2011 1:19pm

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Rev says...
Ah I see the above post now.. Can anyone tell me more about the phillipne golden turmeric?
Mike thre was a temulawak like species from Thailand I tracked down Id once for but I forget right now!
Anyway it was used for women's medicine... Means I presume women boil it and drink it or wash with it or both
I love the jamu drink kunyit asem (turmeric tamarind) but my wife laughs at me because it's women's medicine ;)
Generally the men's drink is beras kencur ( rice Kaempfaeria galanga)
Anyway I've proven anyone can drink women's medicine haha
Try this variant on a hot day
Grate a few knobs fresh deep orange turmeric and place in some water, add honey to sweeten and juice of half a lime.
Pour over ice in a short glass
And sip at sunset or on a sweltering day
Super healthy and super refreshing

Time: 29th December 2011 1:28pm

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Mike says...
The common commercial tumeric has larger rhizomes than than the other two I mentioned.The thai one gets red/orange,stains everything and is stronger.The golden one is yellow/orange with a differnt quality about it but still tumeric.The plants and their flowers look the same to me.I know the common ginger has many forms with smalle rhizomes that are stronger in se asia.

Time: 29th December 2011 1:35pm

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Rev says...
My A) Option Is I'm going to find a wonderful person who has been growing a large amount and suddenly finds me who wants to buy it
Option b) is I contact every nursery I can find in the country , grit my teeth, and pay retail for as much as I can and set about farming it in my backyard
Option c) import? Tissue culture flasks? Though it's so abundant and cheap I bet Noone bothers !
Depending on retail cost here might be economical to being a few kg through aqis??

Time: 29th December 2011 1:35pm

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Mike says...
Krachai is a very commonly used culinary ginger in SE Asia also but you don't see much of it here.It is an essential ingredient in many famous dishes and is easy to grow.I bet jujube (lucy) could add to the conversation on gingers and tumeric in particular.I am guessing that there is is a fair bit of genetic diversity in tumeric.

Time: 29th December 2011 2:46pm

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Mike says...
Rev you are correct once again the mystery plant is Curcuma xanthorhiza and no wonder people call it giant tumeric.Maybe it was taken from Indonesia to Thailand or it is just the Tai form.Jujube would also be intersted in the correct ID for this plant as she has some.

Time: 29th December 2011 3:44pm

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Speedy says...
Hey, I just saw this thread now.
yeah Rev, I have kencur at Dan's place.
you're welcome to it.
too hard for me to grow it down here.
I also have 2 books (in Bahasa) on how to grow it.
I'll copy them for you.
and contact Dan for some rhizomes/plants.


Time: 29th December 2011 9:37pm

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JUJUBE FOR SALE IN MELBOURNE says...
Thanks Rev and Mike for the correct id. I blend tumeric with honey and water, use as medicine. I grate the root and add to fry rice, colour the rice to get a decent yellow and in curries and pancake etc... Tumeric is very good as a medicine or in cooking too. I am very fond of the stronger and stainer varieties like the Thai one.

With normal ginger, I add to steaming seafood dishes, stir fry etc.
I can't wait to try my newly special tumeric/ginger from Mike. I will play with those valuable goodies and one day I will come up with a good recipe to share in the near future.

Time: 29th December 2011 11:00pm

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MaryT says...
I will post pictures next week when I'm home (if they survived). I'd like to know if my turmeric is the real thing.

Time: 30th December 2011 12:02pm

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Speedy says...
Kra-chai is delicious.
use the swollen roots initially , rather than the rhizome so you can replant it til you have plenty.
It grows fast enough if you keep dividing it.
use it in Choo Chee Pla (fish curry with coconut milk)
Gaeng som pla (sour fish curry)



Time: 30th December 2011 1:58pm

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Mike says...
Krachai grows fast alright when nit springs back over the dry the clumps seem much bigger.Galangal and tumeric also spread quickly and are very productive so might need to be controlled if not used all the time.Pla nin is a favoured fish with krachai and I caught and ate some today.

Time: 30th December 2011 7:41pm

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Diana says...
Hi Rev,

Earthcare nursery on the Sunshine Coast has a large selection of culinary and medicinal Zingiberaceae including Kencur. They do web-based mail orders.

http://www.earthcare.com.au/gingers.htm

I have krachai plants doing very well in Brisbane too.

happy new year,

Diana.

Time: 2nd January 2012 12:55pm

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Rev says...
Thanks Diana
Yes Hans erken of earthcare is great guy to deal with
Good bamboo selection too
His rarity is mioga ginger
A temperate Japanese species. Great addition to anyone's culinary garden

In Indonesia there is at least 3 forms ginger

Jahe gajah ( elephant ginger)
Most like our own commercial forms

Jahe merah (Red ginger)
Smaller form prized for medicinal use as well as beverages. May be synonymous with earthcare enterprise sunti ginger

Jahe pahit ( bitter ginger)
Medicinal form I dint know much of yet. I'll be in Indo again tmrw night :) I'll try find more info

All are botanically zingiber officinale

I'm building culinary and medicinal zingiberaceae collection In Indonesia in my garden there.
Collecting Indo gingers first, and others,
I have for example, true cardamom from malabar coast now, and I've taken jumbo ginger from oz, tmrw I take cape York Lilly I collected from cooktown.


Time: 5th January 2012 12:53am

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Rev says...
I saw a paper on genetic testing of ginger and worldwide there's not much diversity. Still I'm keen to collect what I can. I reckon I'll be hunting markets in Vietnam end feb and sending rhizomes back to Bali!

Time: 5th January 2012 12:57am

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Mike says...
The differences are stongly expressed then.Sometimes phenotypic expression is out of all proportion with measurable genotypic differences.Heat tolerance,rhizome size or pungency re characters that may be barely detectable in the clumsy plant genetic appraisals and comparasons done for many species.

Time: 5th January 2012 9:53am

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MaryT says...
Pic shown the types of "gingers" that I have - the supermarket ginger, galangal, Chinese keys, turmeric and kencur - which is which?
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3
Picture: 4
Picture: 5

Time: 5th January 2012 1:47pm

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Mike says...
Mary T,none look like my galangal,4 kinda looks like supermarket ginger,1 tumeric as does 3 to a lesser extent(very young galangal?), I guess 5 kencur and 2 chinese keys.

Time: 5th January 2012 3:41pm

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MaryT says...
Ummm, thanks Mike but I thought Pic 1 is turmeric, 2 Galangal 3 Chinese keys, 4 supermarket ginger and 5 kencur. Now I am confused. Well we agree on 1, 4 & 5.

Time: 5th January 2012 4:06pm

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Mike says...
My galangal clumps are all over 2m high with flowers at the moment and look much like very big common ginger with broader blades.On reflection I can see pic 2 mght be juvenile galangal and I only guessed on the chinese keys.Do you know the scientific name of it?

Time: 5th January 2012 5:14pm

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MaryT says...
Pic 2 has a label - Alphina galanga

Time: 5th January 2012 6:12pm

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Mike says...
Mary T I meant the chinese keys which looks more curcuma, than alpinia or zinziber.

Time: 5th January 2012 6:50pm

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MaryT says...
No I don't know the botanic name of the Chinese keys Mike but I've harvested once already and it's definitely Chinese keys. My turmeric is not omg orange so I'm a bit sad but maybe I can pick up the real thing soon.

Time: 5th January 2012 7:32pm

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Mike says...
Mary T my good type is crazy bright orange or at least it was a month or two ago.I am behind in sending stuff to people but I should send you the good type and see if it keeps its form in Sydney.

Time: 5th January 2012 9:07pm

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MaryT says...
Thanks Mike! My email address is tngmry at yahoo dot com dot au or the dot mac address I used to contact you once. I will reimburse you.

Time: 6th January 2012 5:51am

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MaryT says...
oops Mike I don't have your email address; a case of mistaken identity.

Time: 6th January 2012 6:42am

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Mike says...
Mary T did you get my e-mail from my work e address today?

Time: 6th January 2012 9:47pm

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MaryT says...
Yes Mike and I have replied to it. Bet we have some mutual friends in the environmentalists circle.

Time: 6th January 2012 10:05pm

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Mike says...
Maybe as I used to move in those circles once but now I'm a bit of a hermit.I have done some stuff on fauna,photography and a few other fields.The only Sydney person I have dealt with lately is a frog person called Marion Anstis and my pictures of white lemuroid possums have had a run in Sydney papers lately as well.

Time: 7th January 2012 12:00am

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MaryT says...
Growing great gingers as well. You take great pictures Mike. Ian Morris is the only frog person I know; he's also a photographer. I feel that 'acting local' is important; that's why I am 'greening' my patch of concrete LOL

Time: 7th January 2012 9:39am

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MaryT says...
Kencur flowering after the rain
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 18th January 2012 8:23am

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Speedy says...
I agree MaryT
1 Turmeric (Curcuma sp.) , but maybe not C.longa the leaves look to have stronger concertina folds.
It is lighter in the rhizome , more yellow than orange, and more vigorous and stronger growing and a bit taller when grown side by side with C.longa.
2 galangal (Alpinia galanga)
3 Chinese Keys/Kra-chai/Temu Kunci (Boesenbergia rotunda)
4. Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
5 Kencur (Kaempferia galanga)

Time: 20th January 2012 11:34pm

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MaryT says...
Speedy! Nice to hear from you! Yes my turmeric is a bit anaemic but Mike sent me some strong stuff from Cairns. Speedy! I forgot to thank you for the capers seeds!! Your photo reminded me. Update: one of the seedlings is still hanging on by a thread; alive but fails to thrive. Maybe I don't have the right condition for it.

Time: 21st January 2012 12:31am

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Speedy says...
Yeah , sounds like the 'turmeric' I was thinking of.
It's true identity has been a mystery to me for the last two decades, but It's not the real turmeric.
a nice plant to use as a sort of substitute nonetheless.

No worries re Caper seeds ;-)
Capers need full sun for most (all) of the day,
perfect drainage, especially at the 'neck' of the plant,
but good supply of moisture at the roots which may grow a long way through gravel/rock,
dryish soil in search of moisture (if that makes sense).
also grow in climates that are predominately dry summer, low humidity
and cool, wetter winters.

I grow mine raised off the ground planted into 30cm quarry dust/gravel held in 3-4 courses high house brick planters.
just dry/loose laid , not mortared into place
ie. 4 bricks to make an open square shape with space in the middle,
and build 2-3 layers of top of the first (12-16 bricks) then fill with gravel,
plant into the gravel and water everyday in the growing season til the roots get down into the more moisture retentive soil.

Time: 22nd January 2012 7:31pm

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Mike T says...
Mary T did I send any golden tumeric because maybe it is the same thing you have already and what Speedy is talking abpout?
A colleague at work grows an extra pungent small form of the common ginger that grows densely.He calls it Malaysian ginger.
I was not aware that krachai and chinese keys are the same thing.

Time: 22nd January 2012 7:49pm

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MaryT says...
Speedy I will try to keep the lone capers plant dry. I remember seeing them growing out of rocky cliffs in Italy, like weeds but the local would take trouble to harvest them at great risk to their well being. My mouth waters at the thought of those capers packed in salt that I do not see here.

Mike T yes you sent me one bit of 'golden turmeric'. I have no idea if it's the same as what I have; mine grows very vigourously and I have a ton of them now.

Yes I had to look up 'krachai' and it is Chinese keys :) Will see if it's the same as mine as time goes by.

Time: 22nd January 2012 9:30pm

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au0rey says...
Hi MaryT, can I ask you about your gingers?

I notice they are all growing in small pots, are they 20cm pots?

Do you manage to have a good harvests with them growing in these pots?

My supermarket ginger plants are growing in 40cm pots and I am not sure if there is room for rhizome development and a good harvest.

Time: 22nd January 2012 9:50pm

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MaryT says...
Hi au0rey - no, they are not all in 20cm pots; my supermarket ginger is in a trough oh maybe 80 x 40cm ? I have several pots of pale turmeric now; that grows like wildfire here. You can keep harvesting as they grow; you don't have to wait till the plant dies down (as mine does in winter).

Time: 22nd January 2012 10:11pm

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Rev says...
I agree with speedy and Maryt on labeling.
2 is just juvenile alpinia galanga

Mike that small pungent ginger may be the Jahe merah in indo
Check to see if the base of the stems are red to a few cm up above ground level

Anyway if you get some we could compare in future as I have some bonafide Jahe merah near cairns.

The utilized ginger family diversity in indonesia is off the charts
So many curcuma species used


Time: 23rd January 2012 1:14am

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au0rey says...
MaryT, thanks! Cos I saw the pictures and the pots look kinda small. :)

The slips that I planted in mid-October have shoots emerging and are starting to grow. I think mine will die down in winter too. I am in Melbourne, even colder.

Questions : do you think a 40cm wide x 40cm deep pot is fine for say 3 young plants?

And if I want to re-pot into a larger pot, when in the growing season should I do so? I am not sure if I will disturb the roots too much since the rhizome is what we are after.

Thanks!


Time: 23rd January 2012 9:27am

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MaryT says...
Actually I have a sixth ginger that I'd forgotten - they called it Japanese ginger; it's in the ground right at the foot of my giant jacaranda and it's taller than the fence now; must harvest it to see what it's like. It's a jungle around here, that's why I couldn't see it. :)
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 23rd January 2012 9:41am

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amanda says...
That looks great MaryT! U have convinced me to have a go with ginger :) Do u think it would be happy here though? It's a very dry climate...

I use heaps and it's so expensive here. I don't have many shady spots in the garden - but maybe in a trough under the (bright and warm) verandah - that I can move in the winter do u think?

I also use galangal - is this hard to grow?

Time: 23rd January 2012 12:13pm

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MaryT says...
Can't say what may/may not work for you, Amanda - I'm in Sydney and we can grow almost anything (not quite). Definitely worth a try if you use heaps. Container is the way to go for easy watering.

Time: 23rd January 2012 1:33pm

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amanda says...
Thanks MaryT - I can get self watering troughs which might be helpful do u think?

Time: 23rd January 2012 1:42pm

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MaryT says...
Self watering troughs? I have no experience with those; sounds like a good idea (if they work). :)

Time: 23rd January 2012 2:14pm

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au0rey says...
Hmmm I may worry more about the temperature than watering. If Perth is not as cold as Melbourne, I think it will work out. I had some ginger slips planted last summer and amazingly they emerged from the ground recently. I thought they were all dead! So they can survive our winters here.

And my galangal survived through winter and also emerging from the ground. I also planted it last season.

These ginger plants are planted for their rhizomes, too much water may rot them I suppose. So I am not sure about self-watering troughs, will this cause over-watering? :)

Time: 23rd January 2012 3:20pm

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amanda says...
I was wondering the same thing au0rey - they are "self wicking" troughs. Maybe someone else might know here?

They should be ok thru my winter here? I am 400kms north of Perth - it's similar to Happy Earths winter - no frost - very rarely gets to 2oC, sometimes 6 or 7oC but mostly around 10oC. Summer is minimum 20oC o/night.

I am thinking the dry, hot easterlies would be my major problem...they are very dessicating.. :-(

(ps - I am impressed at your results in Melb :)

Time: 23rd January 2012 3:49pm

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Speedy says...
Amanda, You have a better chance at growing galangal than me,
those low temps shouldn't cause too many problems, and you have a long warm season.
but like you say low humidity and wind will be your biggest challenges with it.
In my gardens in NNSW, I'd plant, water and forget it until I wanted to harvest.
I had so much I'd just cut from the edges where it was tender.
perfect for 'Tom kha gai'
and tender enough to eat slices of young shoots.
btw 'Kha' is the Thai name for it

Time: 23rd January 2012 5:01pm

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amanda says...
Hmmnn Tom kha...we like this too! Thanks for the info Speedy..I reckon it might be happy just to stay on my deck...(the only spot out of the wind here - there will be no room left for the table soon..hehe)

Galangal is very expensive and rarely fresh from the stupor market..if I come across a good/fresh tuber - I guess I can plant it..?

Time: 23rd January 2012 7:46pm

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Scott says...
Can anyone tell me if Kaempferia galanga is the only medicinal/edible Kaempferia spp. or do others such as K. rotunda and K. pulchura have value other than ornamental?

Time: 23rd January 2012 9:22pm

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Speedy says...
I've grown them both in gardens in NNSW along with many other gingers.

K.rotunda, I have seen references to it somewhere as being used medicinally (...Nthn Thailand?)
I may have eaten the flowers and new lvs in the past... something that I'm likely to have done,
probably eat with fresh chilli sauce fermented fish and rice or something 8-P

K.pulchra, don't know for sure, but it is a pretty plant.
Many of the gingers have medicinal (and food uses) very locally and many are just wild harvested when in season from forests near villages in remote areas etc., so wouldn't surprise me at all if they were used somewhere in the world.

Time: 24th January 2012 12:24am

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Scott says...
I think this is K.pulchra.(thriving atm) It looks a little different to the K.galanga
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 24th January 2012 1:24am

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amanda says...
A little off topic (but ginger is a potent warming food I find - I eat crytallised and glace ginger like a lolly I guess - since childhood - it certainly warms me up on a cold day) but does anyone else find the Chinese food combination theories interesting? Like not mixing warming and cooling foods together?

I find it fascinating the way we all relate to our food so differently - all over the world really. We have such a deep and meaningful relationship with food.

Just wanted to mention that - as a ginger devotee....(just to tie in my hijack there, loosely of course.. ;)

We all grow food here - but what do we think about what happens when it gets into our bodies...? I don't know anything on the subject - it's just a thought :)

Time: 24th January 2012 1:26am

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MaryT says...
Sorry au0rey I just read your question; the conversation went too quickly for me to keep up. Yes, I think a 40 cm pot is plenty big enough - your three plants will quickly outgrow the pot though so you can divide them when the leaves die down. Pic shows my turmeric which gives a massive crop. It's OK to dig out what you need as it grows once it has established. I pick up my pots from the fortnightly Council clean ups or eBay or even the tip.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 24th January 2012 8:05am

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au0rey says...
Thanks MaryT, your tumeric looks absolutely stunning and healtthy. Thanks for the tip about pots :P I never thought of that! What potting do you use? Your pot plants look so healthy. I do struggle with some plants in pots esp citrus..they are hopeless staying in a pot and I always end up putting them into the ground.

Amanda, hmmm I am not sure what to say about the different schools of thoughts...I am Asian but I do believe the western stuff a lott...cos they are scientific, things are analysed down to their chemical components and their effects on our body. Now I know onions and garlic are good for our body (western science) but I know some TCM practitioners (esp religious ones) say they are bad for our body (make us more hot-tempered). I dont know how true this is but I l love my onions and garlic.

Having said that, western science doesnt believe in 'heatiness' but Chinese science believe in that a lot...things like durian, mango, lychee for example can cause heatiness. Believe or what, when I was younger, whenever i eat such 'heaty' fruits/food, I would get mouth ulcers or sore throat soon after. So I sort of believe in this heatiness stufff.

I think generally ginger is good for all sorts of ailments and I reckon it is one of the nicest stuff ever existed.



Time: 24th January 2012 9:05am

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MaryT says...
au0rey I used to order premium potting mix by the ton (works out 5 times cheaper than buying by the bag) from Australian Native Landscapes but if I can't use the minimum half ton I usually add cow manure, soil wetting granules, some coir into ordinary potting mix. I throw in some slow release fertiliser as well.

Yeah, ginger is good:) Happy to send you some turmeric if you'd like some.

As for citrus in pots; although the books say you don't need to prune citrus oh yes you do if you want to grow them well in pots and rub off any new growth that you don't want. You need to keep its proportion to the pot and keep an open shape, not bushy but tree like if you know what I mean. But if you have room (I don't) why not grow them in the ground?

Time: 24th January 2012 10:07am

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amanda says...
Helpful pic Scott/MaryT :) (look good too) now I can see that I would definitely need to keep these plants out of the hot sun/wind like Speedy said...those leaves would shred like my banana plant did! (which died..)

Time: 25th January 2012 9:08am

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au0rey says...
Hi MaryT, thanks so much! I dont have any more space for trees in the ground but I now have no choice, my eureka was dying in its pot, I took it out and planted it along my fence line and it is doing fine now...no space so I will try to espalier it onto the wooden fence.

Amanda, oh dear poor banana tree shredded by the wind? Wow..must be really strong winds..

Time: 26th January 2012 11:14am

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MaryT says...
Yea au0rey, we all run out of room in the suburbs. :)

Time: 26th January 2012 11:20am

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MaryT says...
And the turmeric is flowering too - sorry; off Kencur topic but it's so beautiful :)
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 27th January 2012 4:23pm

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MaryT says...
Just found the label on my "kenchur" - it says Curcuma Zedoaria - not Kaempferia galanga! But I looked up Curcuma Zedoaria online and its flower looks nothing like mine. Ummm so what do I have? Photo shows what I have.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 27th January 2012 6:07pm

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Mike says...
Mary T the flower in the picture is the same as in nearly all references to Kaempferia galangal.It will have reddish brown rhizomes and taste just like krachai with an aniseed hint.It is often used as a krachai(chinese keys) substitute in dishes as it is more widespread than krachai.

Time: 27th January 2012 7:14pm

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MaryT says...
Thanks Mike - the label is wrong then. We (Chinese) use it with chicken. Also powdered to make a sauce for dipping Salt baked Chicken.

Time: 27th January 2012 8:01pm

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Scott says...
Hi MaryT,

sounds yummy!
would you share some recipes?
:)

Time: 28th January 2012 2:02pm

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MaryT says...
Hi Scott - sure; kencur is usually dried and powdered in Chinese cuisine (we call it Sha Jiang sand ginger) because it can't grow everywhere I suppose. It's a luxury to have the fresh stuff:

Marinade chicken pieces (say 4 thighs, quartered) with a small teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of starch (tapioca or other) a teaspoon of sugar, some cooking wine and a piece of finely chopped kencur for 30 min. Heat wok till very hot then add 3 tablespoons oil, some crushed kancur, crushed shallots, and whites of spring onions till fragrant, add chicken and stir fry till it's cooked evenly. Stir in a splash of soy sauce and greens of spring onions and cover for a couple of minutes. Enjoy!

Time: 28th January 2012 3:27pm

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Scott says...
OK, going to try this on the kids tomorrow night...sounds yummy!

Thanks MaryT :)

Time: 30th January 2012 9:25pm

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Mike says...
Mary T 499g package sealed and off tomorrow morning ETA Thursday arv.

Time: 31st January 2012 12:17am

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MaryT says...
Thank you so much Mike. You are too generous. Two more sleeps till Thursday - I can't wait! The gingers you sent are all doing well; I can see I would need to repot them before too long! It's hot and humid here and they like being under the jacaranda.

Time: 31st January 2012 7:23am

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MaryT says...
Mike, here's a line up of some of your 'off springs' :)
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 31st January 2012 8:17am

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Mike says...
Mary T they look healthy but they could use some company from their home town.Hopefully the reinforcements will also thrive.Now that you're a booming success with paw paws you should have a few.

Time: 31st January 2012 9:31pm

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MaryT says...
Thank you, Mike. I will declare it a success when I can cut open a fruit and get to eat it! :) My ginger not only have company they are in a platoon! I'm having such fun with them. LOL

Time: 31st January 2012 10:38pm

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Greg Moeliker says...
Hi Rev, I am interested in growing the plants to make some basic Indonesian Jamu recipes. I currently need Kencur or Kaempfaeria galanga. If you can supply the plant, I am happy to grow it for you if you can pick it up or we come to some agreement. Maybe you can help me with Jamu recipes too.

REgards

Greg

Time: 16th April 2013 9:04pm

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Greg Moeliker says...
Hi Rev, May be I can help you grow the other indon plants as well. Let me know.

Cheers Greg

Time: 16th April 2013 9:06pm

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MaryT says...
Update on the last picture :)
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3
Picture: 4
Picture: 5
Picture: 6

Time: 17th April 2013 12:22pm

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DIana says...
I am not sure if this link is already in this thread somewhere (not that I saw), but you can buy Kencur and lots of gingers and allies online from http://www.earthcare.com.au/

Their catalogue includes:

ALPINIA galanga - GALANGAL - This is a popular spice in SE Asia and is widely cultivated there to 1,200m above sea level, young rhizomes are used to flavour food either added sliced & cooked or juiced. Shoots, flower buds & flowers can be eaten cooked, shoots are quite hot when raw.

BOESENBERGIA rotunda - - CHINESE KEYS - Kunci (Indo), Kra chaai (Thai) - Formerly listed as Boesenbergia panduratum. A tropical perennial growing to 50 - 70cm high. Leaves die back in frost. It is the fat swollen roots that are sought after in this species and not the rhizome. The succulent roots are used to flavour many kinds of food either added raw or cooked. They are also sold in a pickled form in Indonesia & Thailand. Young leaves & shoots are also eaten. Roots currently getting very good prices in Asian grocers in Sydney.

CURCUMA australasica - CAPE YORK TURMERIC - A beautiful native turmeric the rhizomes of which are eaten roasted by Aboriginals. Grows to 2m, yellow flowers with striking pink bracts. Available all year in pots but easier to send as dormant rhizome in winter.

CURCUMA domestica - TURMERIC - Grows to 1m tall quite ornamental, yellow flowers have stacked white bracts. A common spice used in curry and for cooking yellow rice, young white rhizomes & shoots are eaten raw in southern Asia. Flowers and young leaves can be used as a vegetable. Older leaves can also be used to flavour sauces and stews. Two varieties available 1. Yellow rhizome, 2. Orange rhizome. Best purchased during winter dormancy.

CURCUMA mangga - MANGO TURMERIC - Temu mangga (indo), temu pauh Malaysia, khamin khao (Thailand). It has beautiful white flowers with purple tips. Used as a vegetable, Popular as a pickle in Thailand. Rhizomes chewed to aid to contraction of the womb after childbirth.

CURCUMA xanthorrhiza - TEMULAWAK (Java) - This species bears a striking similarity to Cape York Turmeric. It differs in that the flower bracts are a deeper pink/purple colour as is the dark strip that runs up the centre of the leaf. Often used medicinally, in Bali a delicious drink is made by cooking dried slices of rhizome in water with palm sugar.

KAEMPFERIA galanga - LESSER GALANGAL - KENCUR (Java)- Often confused with B. pandurata which is also known as Lesser Galanga. This species grows just a few centimetres high the small broad leaves spread flat against the ground. The rhizomes and tuberous roots are used to flavour many foods. They are an essential ingredient for an authentic Indonesian peanut sauce. The young leaves are also a popular vegetable raw or cooked. Used medicinally in Asia for a wide range of ailments including menstrual cramps and headaches, also know to have mildly hallucinogenic effects with no known negative side effects. Shoots, flowers and young rhizomes are eaten raw or cooked.

KAEMPFERIA rotunda

Time: 18th April 2013 8:59am

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Ena says...
Hi Speedy,
I just wondering ... can I get a copy of the book?
Thank you in advance.

Time: 6th April 2014 8:43pm

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Ena says...
Hi Speedy,
I just wondering ... can I get a copy of the book?
Thank you in advance.

Time: 6th April 2014 8:43pm

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