Fingerroot

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Name variations

 * chinese ginger
 * chinese key
 * ka chai
 * kra chai
 * krachai

About Fingerroot
Fingerroot is a plant which is also known as the Chinese ginger and it is considered both a medicinal and a culinary herb, with various valuable properties. Fingerroot is included in the Zingiberaceae family of plants and resembles a lot with the lesser galangal or alpinia officinarum. The scientific names for the fingerroot are bosenbergia pandurata and kaempferia pandurata. Fingerroot is either biennial or perennial and has pink-purple flowers and tall leaves. Fingerroot is original from Southern China and Southeast Asia and it contains up to 3 % essential oil, which is the base for various aromas. The plant has an original long shape, which is easy to recognize, although it is only available in Asian food stores.

Fingerroot is the English name which was given recently to this exotic plant. Today, fingerroot is a staple spice only in the Thai cuisine, where it is used as ginger and galanga for fish curries or coconut dishes, together with kaffir leaves. Besides the culinary usage in Thailand, there are some Vietnamese and Indonesian recipes that include this plant, but it is considered a medicine in China.