Herb and Spice Report:

Kencur

Blanca Mandujano

CA 114 Section #0659

October 2, 2012

Kencur

Origins

Kaempferia Galanga is most commonly known as aromatic ginger, lesser galangal or

Kencur. Kencur is a monocotyledon which is one of two major groups of flowering plants. This

plant is part of the ginger family and it is very similar looking. The differences between ginger

and Kencur are that Kencur is usually smaller and the outside is a dark reddish brown. Kencur is

mostly found in Indonesia, southern China, Taiwan, Cambodia, and India. This plant is classified

as a spice in the kitchen since the part used in cooking is the root. Although its origins are in

South India it is not widely used there. Kencur is most widely used in Indonesia; Kencur is

actually its Indonesian name.

Culinary uses

Kencur has a peppery taste and the smell can be unpleasant. Kencur is rare in the U.S.

but it can be bought dried, powdered, frozen, pickled, or fresh. The root of the Kencur can be

sliced and cooked with vegetables or meats but can also be used grated or crushed. Kencur is

used most in Indonesia. It is most used as a spice in Jawa and Bali. In Jawa it is used in the

Rijstafel, which is an Indonesian feast that can contain forty or more dishes and it is usually

found in the spicy/sweet dishes. Some dishes that use this spice are Sabal Kacang, which is a

peanut sauce. This sauce contains soy sauce, chilies, garlic, ground peanuts, lime juice or

tamarind juice and of course the Kencur. This sauce is then served with either vegetables or

grilled meat. In Bali it is most used in Balinese roast duck or by its Balinese name bebek betulu.

A paste made from onions, ginger, lemon grass, garlic, kemri nuts, chiles, Kencur and other

spices is rubbed on the inside and the outside of the duck and then the duck is wrapped in

banana leaves. The duck is then steamed and roasted. The resulting duck has very tender meat.

In Malaysia the leaves from the Kencur plant are often used in the Malay rise dish, nasi

ulam. Nasi ulam is a steamed rice dish that is either dry or soupy. This dish is often served with

beef jerky, fried tofu, an omelet, or mashed potatoes. In Sri Lanka it is used as a minor spice in

aromatic spice blends with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and black pepper. In China it is

sometimes used as one of the optional ingredients to the five spice powder and to flavor

broths. Unlike in Indonesian cooking Kencur is always used dried in Chinese cooking. It is usually

called “sand ginger” in Chinese cooking. In Thailand Kencur is used as a vegetable as well as an

herb and spice. The Kencur in Thailand can be raw or cooked and it is usually paired with fish

curries.

Medicinal Uses

Methanol has been used to obtain extracts has been shown to fight roundworms in

dogs. It has also been shown repel adult mosquitoes and kill the larvae who are both disease

carriers. Since it has also shown that it is not an irritant to rat skin further studies are planned

to see if it can be used as an insect repellent.

In China, It is mainly used medicinally. Kencur is sold in China under the name sha jiang.

The Chinese use oils that come from the rhizome of the plant to create a powder for treating

indigestion, colds, pectoral and abdominal pain, nasal blocks, asthma, hypertension, headaches

and toothaches. In Thailand it is not commonly used in cooking but it can be found in its

powder form called proh horm or waan horm at herbal medicine stalls. The sap from the leaves

has also shown to have hallucinogenic properties. Kencur also contains ethyl p-

methoxycinnamate which is useful when treating tuberculosis and it is an anti-inflammatory.

Parts used

People around the world have found use for most of the plant but the part mostly used

is the root or rhizome. The leaves can also be used and have been used in salads. The rhizome

looks like ginger only has darker skin and smaller size. The rhizome is used fresh or dried. Fresh

it can be used either raw or cooked and dried it is usually in powder form. It can also be found

pickled. This spice is not very common in the U.S. or Europe but can be found in some specialty

stores. The only place where it is readily available in Europe is in the Netherlands where there is

a large Indonesian population. Ginger can often substitute Kencur in many recipes. Ginger is

one of my favorite spices and I am very curious to see the differences in flavor between it and

Kencur. Many of my sources said that Kencur has an unpleasant smell and I think that is what is

keeping it from becoming very popular.

Kencur in its powder form Indonesian Herbal drink

Advertised to reduce phlegm, cough and weariness.

Bibliography

Alden, Lori. "Cook's Thesaurus: Ginger & Other Rhizomes." Cook's Thesaurus: Ginger & Other

Rhizomes. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. <http://www.foodsubs.com/Ginger.html>.

Farelli. Tropical Plant Book. N.p., 18 Aug. 2011. Web. 26 Sept. 2012.

<http://www.tropicalplantbook.com/Herbs_and_Spices/pages%20herbs/kaempferia-

galanga.htm>.

Katzer, Gernot. "Lesser Galangale (Kaempferia Galanga L.)." Spice Pages: Lesser Galangale

(Kaempferia Galanga, Kencur, Sand Ginger). N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2012.

<http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Kaem_gal.html>.

"Kencur." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Sept. 2012. Web. 29 Sept. 2012.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kencur>.

Passmore, Jacki. "LESSER GALANGAL, GALANGAL-LESSER, KAEMPFERIA PANDURATA, K.

GALANGA, KENCUR, KUNCHOR, INGURUPIYALI, KRACHAI, PICKLED RHIZOME,

PRESERVED RHIZOME." FOOD RESOURCE. The Encyclopedia of Asian Food and Cooking,

3 July 2012. Web. 29 Sept. 2012.

<http://food.oregonstate.edu/glossary/lessergalangal.html>.

Rajendra, CE, Gopal S. Magadum, Mahaboob A. Nadaf, S. V. Yashoda, and M. Manjula.

"Phytochemical Screening of The Rhizome of Kaempferia Galanga." International Journal

of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemical Research 3.3 (2011): 61-63. Print.