Edible Zingiberaceae

Ginger - 薑 – Halia (Malay) – Zingiber officinale

Origin : probably India

Cultivation : S.Asia, SE.Asia, tropical Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Australia

Part Used : rhizome

Usage : spice, medicine, liquor & drinks, candy,

Chemical : zingerone, shogaols, gingerols, (-)-zingiberene, β-sesquiphellandrene, bisabolene, farnesene, β-phelladrene, cineol, citral

Turmeric - 黃薑 – Kunyit (Malay) – Curcuma longa

Origin : SE.Asia

Part Used : rhizome

Usage : spice, food colouring (E100), medicine, dye

Chemical : volatile oils ( odor and flavor ) : curcumin, turmerone, zingiberene

Galangal - 藍薑 – Lengkuas (Malay) – Alpinia galanga

Origin : south Asia

Cultivated : SE.Asia

Part Used : rhizome

Usage : spice, medicine, liquor & drinks

Chemical : galangin, b-sitosterol, emodi, quercetin, methyl cinnamate, cindol, camphor, a-pinene, eugenol, sesquiterpenes

Kantan (Malay) - Etlingera elatior

Origin : SE.Asia

Part Used : flower bud

Usage : spice, garnish

Chemical : quercitrin, isoquecitrin, catechin, chlorogenic acid

Cardamom - Pelaga (Malay) -- Elettaria cardamomum

Origin : SEAsia, southern India

Part Used : seed pods

Usage : spice, drinks

Chemical : a-terpineol, myrcene, limonene, menthone, b-phellandrene, sabinene

black cardamom - 沙仁 - Amomum subulatum

Origin : eastern Himalaya

Part Used : seed pods

Usage : spice, medicine

Black cardomon - 草果- Amomum costatum

Origin : southern China, northern India

Part Used : seed pods

Usage : spice, medicine

Chemical : cineol, limonene, terpinene, terpineol, terpinyl acetate, sabinene

Myōga - 茗荷 – Zingiber mioga

Origin : Japan

Part Used : flower bud, shoots

Usage : garnish

Chemical : pinene, phellandrene, elemene

Grain of Paradise -天堂椒- Aframomum melegueta

Origin : West Africa

Part Used : seeds

Usage : spice, medicine, liquor

Chemical : (6)-paradol