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Galangal

Spice & roots· spice

Galangal

What it is

Galangal is the rhizome of Alpinia galanga or related plants, used fresh or dried in Southeast Asian cooking.

What it tastes like

On the nose: fruity, potato, camphor, cloves. Among its measured molecules: 4-propylphenol, galangal acetate, 4-Allylphenyl acetate, trans-2-acetoxy-1,8-cineole, γ-octalactone.

What goes with it

227 more go with it. See them all in the full library →

Salt and acid

Salt

Salt not measured yet.

Acid

Acid not measured yet.

Unusual pairings

Pairs the library can cite that almost nobody makes.

17 of 177 compounds on file carry a paper the library can cite.

  • acetic acidaromaacidreads as pungent (PubChem)Measured in 35 of 338 ingredients.cite
    flavour dilution factor 256 in the rhizome's aroma extract dilution analysis; no concentration published. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 1, compound 8)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • vanillinaromaphenolreads as sweetish smell (PubChem)Measured in 12 of 338 ingredients.cite
    flavour dilution factor 128 in the rhizome's aroma extract dilution analysis; no concentration published. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 1, compound 43 — the last-eluting odorant in the analysis)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • 1,8-cineolearomaterpenoidreads as camphor-like odor (PubChem)Measured in 38 of 338 ingredients.cite
    530,000 µg/kg of the rhizome against an odour threshold of 4.0 µg/kg, giving an odour activity value of 130,000 — the highest OAV in the study. Its flavour dilution factor in the same paper's dilution analysis is 4096, the joint highest of any odorant found. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 3 (Concentrations and OAVs of Major Odorants in A. galanga Rhizome), row 3; and Table 1 (Odorants in the Volatile Isolate Obtained from A. galanga Rhizome), compound 3)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • eugenolaromaphenolreads as odor of cloves (PubChem)Measured in 19 of 338 ingredients.cite
    2950 µg/kg of the rhizome against an odour threshold of 1.8 µg/kg, giving an odour activity value of 1600 — and a flavour dilution factor of 4096, the joint highest in the study alongside 1,8-cineole and galangal acetate, on a thousandth of galangal acetate's concentration. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 3, row 36; and Table 1, compound 36)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • γ-octalactonearomaetherMeasured in 2 of 338 ingredients.cite
    flavour dilution factor 64 in the rhizome's aroma extract dilution analysis; no concentration published. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 1, compound 26)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • valeric acidaromaacidreads as fruity taste (PubChem)Measured in 6 of 338 ingredients.cite
    flavour dilution factor 128 in the rhizome's aroma extract dilution analysis; no concentration published. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 1, compound 21)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • terpinen-4-olaromaalcoholreads as pine (PubChem)Measured in 41 of 338 ingredients.cite
    flavour dilution factor 64 in the rhizome's aroma extract dilution analysis, with an enantiomeric distribution of 62/38 R to S — the only one of the four chiral odorants the paper resolved that is close to racemic. No concentration published. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 1, compound 14; and Table 2, row 14)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • 4-propylphenolaromahydrocarbonMeasured in 1 of 338 ingredients.cite
    flavour dilution factor 64 in the rhizome's aroma extract dilution analysis; no concentration published. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 1, compound 38)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • methionalaromasulfur compoundreads as cooked potato (PubChem)Measured in 9 of 338 ingredients.cite
    flavour dilution factor 128 in the rhizome's aroma extract dilution analysis; no concentration published. A Strecker aldehyde of methionine, and the same odorant this sweep's lychee and beef-tallow nodes both carry. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 1, compound 9)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • myrcenearomaterpenoidreads as pleasant (PubChem)Measured in 68 of 338 ingredients.cite
    9630 µg/kg of the rhizome against an odour threshold of 1.2 µg/kg, giving an odour activity value of 8000 — third-highest OAV in the study on about a fiftieth of 1,8-cineole's concentration. Flavour dilution factor 64. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 3, row 2; and Table 1, compound 2)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • galangal acetatearomaMeasured in 1 of 338 ingredients.cite
    4,210,000 µg/kg of the rhizome as the (S)-enantiomer, against an odour threshold of 96 µg/kg, giving an odour activity value of 44,000 — the largest concentration of any odorant measured, and about eight times the next-largest. Flavour dilution factor 4096, the joint highest in the study. The enantiomeric distribution is 4/96 R to S, so the rhizome makes essentially one hand of this molecule. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 3, row 41b '(S)-galangal acetate'; Table 1, compound 41; and Table 2 (Enantiomeric Distribution of Important Chiral Odorants in A. galanga Rhizome), row 41)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • 4-Allylphenyl acetatearomaphenolMeasured in 1 of 338 ingredients.cite
    127,000 µg/kg of the rhizome against an odour threshold of 130 µg/kg, giving an odour activity value of 980; flavour dilution factor 256. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 3, row 27; and Table 1, compound 27)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • (3Z)-3-hexenalaromaaldehydeMeasured in 7 of 338 ingredients.cite
    flavour dilution factor 64 in the rhizome's aroma extract dilution analysis; no concentration published. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 1, compound 1 — the first-eluting odorant in the analysis)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • germacrene BaromaterpenoidMeasured in 3 of 338 ingredients.cite
    62,700 µg/kg of the rhizome against an odour threshold of 27 µg/kg, giving an odour activity value of 2300; flavour dilution factor 32. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 3, row 24; and Table 1, compound 24)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • Cinnamyl acetatearomaesterMeasured in 3 of 338 ingredients.cite
    flavour dilution factor 64 in the rhizome's aroma extract dilution analysis; no concentration published. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 1, compound 35)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.
  • trans-2-acetoxy-1,8-cineolearomaMeasured in 1 of 338 ingredients.cite
    flavour dilution factor 128 in the rhizome's aroma extract dilution analysis; no concentration published. An acetylated cineole — the same acetate chemistry that gives this rhizome its marker compound. — Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Table 1, compound 20)Measurement only — the source text is licensed facts-only.

On file, no cited source yet ✳

These molecules are on record for it from the library's earlier sources. We are buying and requesting the papers; each one that lands moves its molecule up into the cited list.

  • β-bisaboleneterpenoid
  • 2-hydroxy-4-(prop-2-en-1-yl)phenyl acetateacid
  • (1Z,4Z)-1,5-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,4-pentadienehydrocarbon
  • (2E)-2-[2-[(1R,2R,4aS,8aS)-5,5,8a-trimethylspiro[3,4,4a,6,7,8-hexahydro-1H-naphthalene-2,2'-oxirane]-1-yl]ethylidene]butanedialterpenoid
  • beta-farneseneterpenoid
  • Labda-8(17),12-diene-15,16-dialterpenoid
  • galanolactonelactone
  • 4-hydroxy cinnamyl alcohol diacetateester
  • (+)-endo-2-acetoxy-1,8-cineoleterpenoid
  • Galanganal
  • (1S,2R)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-[(E)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enyl]propane-1,3-diol
  • (1S,2S)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-[(E)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enyl]propane-1,3-diol
  • terpinoleneterpenoidreads as terpene taste (PubChem)
  • octadecaneacidreads as fuel-like (PubChem)
  • 1'-acetoxychavicol acetateester
  • L-lysineacid
  • beta-sesquiphellandreneterpenoid
  • tridecaneacidreads as hydrocarbon odor (PubChem)
  • tetradecaneacid
  • pentadecaneacid
  • 4-hydroxybenzaldehydephenol
  • coniferyl acetatephenol
  • L-aspartic acidacidreads as sour (PubChem)
  • D-aspartic acidacid
  • trans-coumaryl acetatephenol
  • caryophylene oxideterpenoid
  • L-prolineacidreads as sweet (PubChem)
  • beta-pineneterpenoidreads as terpene odor (PubChem)
  • (6E)-2,6-dimethyl-10-methylidenedodeca-2,6-dieneacid
  • (4alpha)-1beta,3,3-Trimethyl-2-oxabicyclo[2.2.2]octane-6beta-ol acetateterpenoid
  • (4alpha)-1beta,3,3-Trimethyl-2-oxabicyclo[2.2.2]octane-5alpha-ol acetateterpenoid
  • (4alpha)-1beta,3,3-Trimethyl-2-oxabicyclo[2.2.2]octane-5beta-ol acetateterpenoid
  • neryl acetateterpenoid
  • geranyl acetateterpenoidreads as odor of lavender (PubChem)
  • 4-[(E)-3-[(2R,3S,5R)-5-[(R)-hydroxy-(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)oxan-3-yl]prop-1-enyl]phenol
  • [4-[5-(4-Acetyloxyphenyl)penta-1,4-dienyl]phenyl] acetateacid
  • (1R,2R)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-[(E)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enyl]propane-1,3-diol
  • (2E)-2-[2-[(1S,4aS,8aR)-5,5,8a-trimethyl-2-methylidene-3,4,4a,6,7,8-hexahydro-1H-naphthalen-1-yl]ethylidene]butanedialterpenoid
  • (1R,2S)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-[(E)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enyl]propane-1,3-diol
  • 4-[(E)-3-[(2S,3S,5S)-5-[(R)-hydroxy-(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)oxan-3-yl]prop-1-enyl]phenol
  • L-lysineacid
  • alpha-terpineolalcoholreads as floral, lilac (PubChem)
  • β-caryophyllene oxideether
  • beta-ocimeneterpenoid
  • sabineneterpenoid
  • 4-[(1S)-1-hydroxyprop-2-en-1-yl]phenyl acetateacid
  • (8S,E)-8,20-Epoxylabd-12-ene-15,16-dialterpenoid
  • limoneneterpenoidreads as pleasant lemon-like (PubChem)
  • L-arginineacid
  • lavandulyl acetateterpenoid
  • Galanal Aalcohol
  • Galanal Bterpenoid
  • butyl acetateesterreads as sweet (PubChem)
  • L-glutamic acidacidreads as umami sour taste (PubChem)
  • (1S)-1-[4-(acetyloxy)phenyl]propyl acetate
  • 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enalaldehyde
  • D-limoneneterpenoidreads as citrus odor (PubChem)
  • (-)-beta-pineneterpenoid
  • (-)-alpha-pineneterpenoid
  • (+)-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate
  • (-)-α-phellandreneterpenoid
  • L-glutamic acidacid
  • 1'-acetoxyeugenol acetateester
  • Chavicol O-beta-glucopyranosidesugar
  • L-aspartic acidacid
  • 4-(2-propenyl)phenyl-β-D-glucopyranosideacid
  • (E)-cinnamic acidacid
  • (2S,4R)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-olterpenoid
  • 1'-Acetoxyeugenol acetateacid
  • 4-[(1R)-1-Hydroxyprop-2-en-1-yl]phenolacid
  • 6-methyleugenolacid
  • (2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-(4-prop-2-enylphenoxy)oxane-3,4,5-triolacid
  • delta-cadinolterpenoid
  • spathulenolterpenoid
  • p-coumaryl alcoholalcohol
  • (2E,6E)-farnesalterpenoid
  • caryophylleneterpenoid
  • humuleneterpenoid
  • beta-ocimeneterpenoid
  • galanginflavonoid
  • kaempferideflavonoid
  • (2E)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-olacid
  • bisdemethoxycurcuminphenol
  • (2E)-2-[2-[(1R,2S,8aS)-5,5,8a-trimethylspiro[3,4,4a,6,7,8-hexahydro-1H-naphthalene-2,2'-oxirane]-1-yl]ethylidene]butanedialterpenoid
  • cis-β-Ocimeneterpenoid
  • 3-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-yl acetateacid
  • desmethoxycurcuminphenol
  • zerumboneterpenoid
  • L-alanineacidreads as sweet taste (PubChem)
  • L-serineacidreads as sweet (PubChem)
  • L-lysineacidreads as sweet/bitter (PubChem)
  • L-tyrosineacid
  • L-leucineacid
  • 3-(4-Acetyloxy-3-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-enyl acetateacid
  • L-methionineacidreads as faint (PubChem)
  • L-histidineacidreads as sweet (PubChem)
  • L-valineacid
  • L-threonineacid
  • tryptophanacidreads as flat taste (PubChem)
  • L-isoleucineacidreads as bitter (PubChem)
  • L-arginineacid
  • 4-hydroxycinnamaldehydealdehyde
  • bornyl acetateterpenoid
  • trans-coniferyl alcohol diacetateester
  • linaloolalcoholreads as spicy, citrus taste (PubChem)
  • campheneterpenoidreads as camphor-like (PubChem)
  • alpha-pineneterpenoidreads as odor of turpentine (PubChem)
  • (R)-beta-bisaboleneterpenoid
  • chavicolphenol
  • L-serineacid
  • D-phenylalanineacid
  • tryptophanacid
  • L-tyrosineacid
  • phenyl-Alanineacid
  • L-histidineacid
  • L-valineacid
  • L-threonineacid
  • L-prolineacid
  • thymolphenolreads as aromatic odor (PubChem)
  • L-methionineacid
  • D-methionineacid
  • L-isoleucineacid
  • L-leucineacid
  • D-Alanineacid
  • methyl eugenolacidreads as bitter, burning taste (PubChem)
  • eugenol acetatephenol
  • CID 71550939terpenoid
  • D-phenylalanineacid
  • 4-(1-hydroxyprop-2-en-1-yl)phenyl acetatephenol
  • L-lysineacid
  • 5-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)methylidene]pent-4-enal
  • L-alanineacid
  • D-Alanineacid
  • carveolterpenoid
  • γ‑terpineneterpenoid
  • α-terpineneterpenoid
  • p-cymeneterpenoidreads as mild pleasant odor (PubChem)
  • glycineacidreads as sweet (PubChem)
  • 3-[2-(5,5,8a-trimethyl-2-methylidene-3,4,4a,6,7,8-hexahydro-1H-naphthalen-1-yl)ethylidene]-4-hydroxyoxolan-2-oneterpenoid
  • 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl acetateterpenoid
  • isobutyl acetateesterreads as banana taste (PubChem)
  • phenyl-Alanineacid
  • D-aspartic acidacid
  • D-methionineacid
  • 3-[4-(acetyloxy)phenyl]prop-2-en-1-yl acetateacid
  • alpha-bergamoteneterpenoid
  • citralterpenoid
  • L-valineacid
  • L-glutamic acidacid
  • citronellyl acetateterpenoid
  • (1R,2S,7S,8S)-1,3-dimethyl-8-propan-2-yltricyclo[4.4.0.02,7]dec-3-eneterpenoid
  • curcumeneterpenoid
  • alpha-santaleneterpenoid
  • trans-carveolterpenoid
  • 4-hydroxycinnamyl alcoholacid
  • Farnesyl acetateterpenoid
  • 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-olacid
  • curcuminphenol
  • CID 9905088terpenoid
  • 3-[(1E)-2-[(1S,4aS,8aS)-5,5,8a-trimethyl-2-methylidene-hexahydro-1H-naphthalen-1-yl]ethenyl]furanterpenoid

Sources

  • Shi et al. 2025, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry(facts-only licence)
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