• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Devour.Asia

Devour.Asia

Better Asian recipes for home cooks

  • Recipes
    • Cuisine
      • Chinese
      • Japanese
      • Korean
      • Thai
      • Vietnamese
      • Taiwanese
      • Filipino
      • Indonesian
      • Malaysian
      • South Asian
      • Fusion
      • Street Food
    • Ingredient
      • Poultry
      • Seafood
      • Meat
      • Rice & Grains
      • Noodles
      • Vegetables
      • Tofu
      • Mushrooms
      • Bread
      • Eggs
      • Fruits
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Snacks
      • Salads
      • Soups
      • Main Courses
      • Side Dishes
      • Sweets
      • Drinks
  • Kitchen
  • Stories
  • Cuisine
    • Chinese
    • Japanese
    • Korean
    • Thai
    • Taiwanese
    • Filipino
    • Indonesian
    • Malaysian
    • South Asian
    • Fusion
  • Main Ingredient
    • Poultry
    • Seafood
    • Meat
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
      • Noodle Soups
      • Noodles Stir Fry
      • Instant Noodles (Ramen)
    • Vegetables
    • Mushrooms
    • Tofu
    • Bread
    • Eggs
    • Fruits
  • Course
    • Breakfast
    • Snacks
    • Salads
    • Soups
    • Main Courses
    • Side Dishes
    • Sweets
    • Drinks
  • Street Food
  • Kitchen Tales
  • Food Tales
  • About
  • Privacy
You are here: Home / Kitchen Tales / Pantry Staples / Ginger, Galangal and Turmeric: How They Differ in Appearance, Flavor and Aroma

Ginger, Galangal and Turmeric: How They Differ in Appearance, Flavor and Aroma

Galangal, ginger and turmeric are all rhizomes commonly used in Asian cooking.

Fresh galangal, chilies and ginger
Galangal on the left; ginger on the extreme right

All three are also used in herbal medicine. Ginger has long been used a cure of colds and coughs. Over the past decade, turmeric has gained popularity for its supposed anti-inflammatory properties. But this is a food blog so I’ll go ahead and skip the alleged health benefits of all three.

Differences in appearance

There are various types of galangal but, unless you’re a botanist, only two are worth getting acquainted with — Lesser galangal and Greater galangal. What you see in the photo above is Greater galangal which is a popular ingredient in Thai cooking.

Greater galangal and ginger are, on the average, of the same size. But the skin of galangal is smoother and with more pronounced “rings”.

Turmeric, on the other hand, is smaller and the skin is darker and rougher.

Once you peel off the skin, the interior of the galangal can be anywhere from white to pale pink. The inside of ginger is yellow. Turmeric’s is deep yellow to yellow-orange.

The texture of each varies too. While turmeric and ginger are easy to grate, galangal is too fibrous — almost woody, in fact.

Differences in aroma and flavor

Galangal is citrusy and somewhat piney. Unlike ginger, there is no pronounced heat.

Ginger is the most aromatic of the three (please don’t use the word pungent to describe the aroma). It also has the highest amount of heat.

Sliced turmeric
Fresh turmeric

Turmeric is the least aromatic of the three. It is mildy earthy and slightly bitter. In cooking, turmeric is often used to add color to dishes.

How to buy galangal, ginger and turmeric

All three are available fresh, dried or powdered. If you’re lucky, you may also buy them in grated form in jars.

When buying fresh galangal, ginger and turmeric, always choose ones with the smoothest skin and with no dry and withered-looking spots.

Can one be substituted for the other?

Bon Apetit and Food Republic are both grossly mistaken in saying that ginger is a worthy substitute for galangal. A DESPERATE substitute, yes, but not worthy. I know because until I was able to get galangal (either crushed in jars or dried), I used to substitute ginger. Then, I learned and never made the mistake of substituting again.

Sliced ginger
Fresh ginger

As mentioned before, galangal, ginger and turmeric all have different flavors and aromas. Unless you want to change the traditional flavors of a dish, you need to use the correct rhizome intended for it.

Recipes with galangal

Published: February 20, 2020 • Last modified: October 30, 2021 ♥ Pantry Staples, Herbs & Spices
Further Reading
Fried and skewered quail eggs. Tamsui Old Street, Taiwan

Quail Eggs in Asian Cuisines

Coffee class at The Yellow Chair, Saigon

How to Grade Coffee and Make Cà Phê Đá: A Coffee Class in Saigon

Popcorn in bowl

How to Cook Regular Popcorn in the Microwave

Sidebar

Experience Asia

At Balaw-balaw, a museum of wood sculptures

Interpreting Folk Art at Balaw-Balaw Museum

The Great Buddha Hall at the Tōdai-ji Temple Complex in Nara

At Tōdai-ji Temple in Nara, I Touched Buddha’s Nostril

Deers roaming freely in Nara Park

In Osaka, When You Ask for Directions, the Locals Won’t Just Point — They Will Walk You to Your Destination

Backpack made of hemp

Hemp, Local Artisans and Thoughtful Consumerism

Laguna de Bay

Laguna de Bay: You Don’t Pronounce “Bay” as in Manila Bay

  • About
  • Privacy
  • Archive

Except for the occasional stock photo and blockquote, everything © Devour Asia. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.