Galanga Oil

#### Galanga Oil. Also known as "**Galangal Oil**" or "**False Ginger Oil**". The oil is steam-distilled from the comminuted rhizome of **Alpinia**** ****Officinarum**, a relative to ginger and cardamom. The plant is a native of **Hainan**, southeast Chinese island, and of the peninsulas **Pak-Hoi **and **Lei-Tchou**** **where it is widely cultivated. Galanga is also cultivated in Indonesia, Siam, and Japan where many varieties of **Alpinia **have been cultivated experimentally. The above plant, however, gives the highest yield of essential oil by far, and the most interesting oil, too. The above **Galanga Oil **should not be confused with the essential oil of **Kaempferia Galanga **(see monograph). It should also be kept in mind, that in the beginning of the 20th century, Galanga rhizomes were derived from a different plant which was cultivated in China and east India: **Alpinia**** ****Galanga**. The essential oil from the rhizomes of this plant is substantially different from the galanga oil of today. It seems however, that **Alpinia Officinarum **is the only plant whose rhizomes are used in the production of galanga oil today. **Galanga Oil **is a yellowish to olive-brown, occasionally pale olive or pale yellow liquid of fresh-camphoraceous and spicy-woody odor reminiscent of laurel leaf oil, cardamom oil, ginger oil, etc., with a distinct cineole-like topnote and a warm undertone of rich and spicy body. The flavor is somewhat bitter at high concentration, but warm and spicy, leaving a faintly cool aftertaste. The suggested use level is about 2.00 to 4.00 mg%, and the **Minimum**** ****Perceptible**** **is 0.50 to 1.00 mg%. In respect to flavor power, it is inferior to all the common spice oils. **Galanga Oil **is used in flavor work as a trace additive in spice compounds where it acts as a modifier for cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, etc. It blends well with Moroccan chamomile, Dalmatian sage, cinnamon, allspice, etc. in flavors for baked goods, meat sauces, etc. It finds some use as a modifier in flavors for soft drinks, e.g. ginger ale and root beer types, and in certain types of candy flavors. The galanga rhizome itself is occasionally used in Indian curry powder blends. See also **Galanga Oleoresin**, next monograph. Galanga oil is rarely used in perfumery, but it could introduce interesting notes in Oriental bases, woody fragrances, spicy perfumes, etc. It blends well with lavandin, pine needle oils, citrus oils, rosemary oils, patchouli oil, myrtle oil, opopanax oil, etc. The oil is produced in very limited quantities mainly in Europe and the U.S.A. from imported rhizomes. Recently, China has started production of the essential oil from locally grown material. The oil is not regularly available yet.