Greater Galanga – An Aromatic Herbal Spice

Greater galanga, Alpinia galanga belongs to the family, Zingiberaceae. It is also known as Bara Kulanjan (Hindi), Kulanjan, Sugandhmula (Sanskrit), Siamese ginger (English), Dhuma rasmi (Kannada), Chittaratha or Kolingi (Malayalam), Koshtkulinjan (Marathi), Kolinjan (Gujarati), Perarathai (Tamil) and Pedda dhumpa (Telugu). It is native to south Asia and Indonesia. It is cultivated in India (Eastern Himalayas and South West India), Bangladesh, China, Surinam, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and Indonesia. In India, it is found in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Western Ghats, Mysore, Goa and Malabar.