Kaempferia Galanga Oil

#### Kaempferia Galanga. In order to avoid confusion with true galanga oil (see monograph), the above essential oil is mentioned under its botanical name. **Kaempferia Galanga **is a small tropical plant of the ginger family; it is cultivated quite commonly throughout India and Indonesia, partly for the production of essential oil from the rhizomes of the plant, partly for use as a local spice. The rhizomes (underground stems) are steam distilled in India to yield a yellowish or pale amber-colored, somewhat viscous oil which deposits a substantial amount of crystals on standing. The crystals have been identified as **Ethyl **para**Methoxy Cinnamate**. In this respect, the oil is quite similar to the east Indian **Ekangi**** ****Oil**** **from the rhizomes of **Hedychium**** ****Spicatum**** **(see monograph on **Sauna Oil**), a close relative to **Longoza**. Judging from the odor of the comminuted rhizomes, it is conceivable that the steam distillation affects the volatile part of the material and that the above ester is not present as such in the botanical material itself. The author has not seen any type of extracted product from the rhizomes of **Kaempferia Galanga**, but it is most likely that such extracts would smell more like the rhizomes than does the oil. Oil of **Kaempferia**** ****Galanga**** **has a sweet-woody, warm, balsamic, somewhat spicy odor of great tenacity. The flavor is less pleasant, camphoraceous, burning, yet very rich and aromatic. The oil is not regularly produced, and it is rarely offered outside its country of origin. The rhizome is commercially available and is known in Indonesia under the name of "tjikoer" or "kentjoer". It is occasionally used as a replacement for curcuma, but it cannot introduce the same flavor (and color) effects in a curry powder as can the curcuma rhizome. See also **Curcuma,**** ****Galanga,**** ****Longoza,**** ****Sanna**** **and **Zedoaria**.