Galangal

Alpinia officinarum

Historical tradition – not medical advice, and no health or healing claims. more

Historical botanical drawing: Galangal — Galangal

Tradition (Hildegard's writings)

In Hildegard's tradition, galangal was associated with the heart and digestion.

Ingredients

The dried rhizome.

Note

Galangal is markedly pungent. For anyone who finds it too sharp on its own, the literature points to the milder combination with fennel.

Botanical background

Lesser galangal belongs to the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), and the sources describe its root as resembling ginger. What is used is the rhizome: dried, it is red-brown, roughly five to six centimetres long and one to two centimetres thick, and the fringed, yellowish-white remains of the leaf sheaths stand out on it. It smells aromatic and tastes fiercely pungent. Hildegard gives it a chapter of its own among the plants of the first book of the Physica, describing it as thoroughly warm and holding no cold.

Sources & references

Strehlow, Wighard: Die Hildegard-Naturapotheke. Heilmittel und Rezepte von A bis Z. Knaur Verlag 2014.
Strehlow, Wighard: Der Hildegard-Kompass. Die wichtigsten Heilmittel und Anwendungen. Knaur Verlag 2014.
Hildegard von Bingen: Heilsame Schöpfung. Die natürliche Wirkkraft der Dinge (Physica). Hrsg. von der Abtei St. Hildegard, Eibingen. Beuroner Kunstverlag 2012 (4. Auflage 2024). Cap. 1-13.

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More preparations using Galangal

Galangal and Ginger Salve Galangal and Raspberry Water Galangal Electuary Galangal Honey Galangal Honey Purée Galangal Powder Galangal Tablets Galangal Wine

Historical tradition. The above describes how this preparation was recorded and used in the tradition of Hildegard of Bingen. This is cultural-historical information, not medical advice and not a health or healing claim, and it is no substitute for advice from a doctor or pharmacist. If you have health complaints, please consult your doctor or pharmacy.

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