Gingers, Galangals, Turmerics, Arrowroots and Cardamoms
Ginger (Zingiber officinale). Gừng in Vietnamese. When young it is milder, juicier and thinner skinned. Young ginger is referred to stem ginger, green ginger, pink ginger, new ginger or spring ginger.
Red Ginger (Zingiber officinale var. rubrum)
Chinese Ginger (Boesenbergia rotunda) – Also called krachai, finger root, Chinese keys, or lesser ginger. Ngải bún or gieng rung in Vietnam. Prefers partial shade. Goes dormant and dies back in winter, regrows in early summer.
Sand Ginger (Kaempferia galanga) – Also called aromatic galanga/ginger, kencur. Địa liền, thiền liền, tam nại, or sơn nại in Vietnamese. Shan Nai or sha jiang in Chinese. Prefers shade.
Thai Black Ginger (Kaempferia parviflora) – Also called Thai ginseng. Prefers full sun to part shade. Goes dormant and dies back in winter, regrows in early summer.
Mango Ginger (Curcuma Amada) Goes dormant and dies back in winter, regrows in early summer.
Java Ginger (Curcuma zanthorrhiza) – Also called giant curcuma, false turmeric or temulawak. Prefers shade. Goes dormant and dies back in winter, regrows in early summer.
Cinnamon Ginger (Alpinia nutans) – Also called shellflower ginger, false cardamom, dwarf cardamom. Leaves have a cardamom like aroma, rhizomes a slight cinnamon aroma.
Galangal (Alpinia galanga) – Also called greater galangal, Thai galangal, Thai ginger. Flowers in September. Riềng nếp in Vietnamese.
Red Galangal (Alpinia officinarum) – Also called lesser galangal. Riềng, thuóc, or cao luong khuong in Vietnamese.
Black Galangal (Alpinia nigra)
Light Galangal (Alpinia zerumbet) Also called shell ginger, butterfly ginger, pink porcelain lily. Leaves are used as a wrap, dried fruits are used as a spice.
Mountain Galangal (Alpinia oxymitra) Riêng núi in Vietnamese. Edible shoots and fruits.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa). Sometimes called curcuma, Indian saffron, long rooted curcuma or yellow ginger. Nghệ, củ nghệ, khuong hoàng or uâtkim in Vietnamese. Jiang huang, huang jiang, yu jin or yu chiu in Chinese.
- Hawaiian Red
- Indira Yellow
Emperor Turmeric (Curcuma domestica variegata) Goes dormant and dies back in winter, regrows in early summer.
Black Turmeric (Curcuma caesia) – Also called blue or purple turmeric, black zedoary, kali haldi. Nghệ đen in Vietnamese. Goes dormant and dies back in winter, regrows in early summer.
White Turmeric (Curcuma zedoary) – Also called zedoary, kentjur. Nghệ đen, nga truật, Ngải tím, Bông truật, or tam nại in Vietnamese. E Zhu or Yu jin in Chinese.
Green Turmeric (Curcuma aeruginosa)
Cosmetic Turmeric (Curcuma Aromatica) Also called aromatic turmeric, yellow zeodary, or wild turmeric. Nghê rùng or nghê trang in Vietnamese.
Arrowroot (Maranta Arundinacea “Variegata”) Dong, dong củ, dong ta or bình tinh in Vietnamese.
East Indian Arrowroot (Curcuma Angustifolia) Goes dormant and dies back in winter, regrows in early summer.
Cardamom (Elettaria Cardamomum)
Black Cardamom (Amomum tsao-ko). Also called Nepal cardamom, big cardamom, winged cardamom, Bengal cardamom. Thảo quả in Vietnamese. Cao guo in Chinese.
Hill Cardamom (Amomum villosum) Also called Tavoy Cardamom and Sha Ren. Prefers shade.
Grains of Paradise (Aframomum melegueta) Also called Melegueta pepper. Seeds are used a spice.
Kim's Garden 