خولنجان
خولنجان Galangal, بالتايلاندية Ka (ข่า), بالماليزية: lengkuas, بالماندرين (تقليدية: 南薑/مبسطة: 南姜, وأيضاً يسمى: T:高良薑/S:高良姜), بالكانتونية lam keong (藍薑, ويسمى أيضاً زنجبيل أزرق), وبالڤييتنامية, Riềng. والخولنجان هوrhizome له استخدامات في الطهي والطب, ويشتهر في الغرب بظهوره في الأكل التايلاندي وباقي مطابخ جنوب شرق آسيا. Though it resembles (and is related to) ginger in appearance, it tastes little like ginger. In its raw form, galangal has a soapy, earthy aroma and a pine-like flavor with a faint hint of citrus. It is available as a powder from vendors of Asian spices and is also available whole, cut or powdered from vendors of herbs. A mixture of galangal and lime juice is used as a tonic in parts of Southeast Asia. It is said to have the effect of an aphrodisiac, and act as a stimulant. Galangal is also known as laos (its Indonesian name), galanggal, and somewhat confusingly galingale, which is also the name for several plants of the unrelated Cyperus genus of sedges (also with aromatic rhizomes).
The word galangal, or its variant galanga is used as a common name for all members of the genus Alpinia, and in common usage can refer to four plants, all in the Zingiberaceae (ginger family):
- Alpinia galanga or خولنجان أكبر greater galangal
- Alpinia officinarum or خولنجان أصغر lesser galangal
- Kaempferia galanga, also called lesser galangal or sand ginger
- Boesenbergia pandurata, also called Chinese ginger or fingerroot
Alpinia galanga is also known as Chewing John, Little John Chew and galanga root. It is used in folk medicine and in voodoo charms (see John the Conqueror for related lore).
زيت الخولنجان يستعمل أيضاً في مختلف الزيوت لغرض anointing.
انظر أيضاً
- Alpinia galanga
- Lesser galangal
