EDIBLE YOUNG RHIZOMES: The rhizomes are highly desirable for culinary use and have the taste and scent of green mangos. To me, the flavor of Mango Ginger is outstanding. It is my favorite-tasting of all the ginger relatives. In second place, I would rank “Bubba Baba Blue” true Ginger, in third place “KhingYai” Ginger, and fourth for me would be true Galangal. I grow all four of these here in Arcadia. In Thailand, the "young rhizomes is available 4-5 months after planting." [4]
- WITH CHILI: Slices of the young rhizomes are cooked with coconut milk and chili paste.
- PICKLES: “Young hands are used make lovely pickles in India." [1]
- SALADS: “Young hands are used in Thailand to make spicy salads.” [1]
- CURRIES: They are excellent added to curries.
- CHUTNEY: They are commonly made into chutney in India.
- RAW: “They are eaten raw with many kinds of hot and spicy dipping” sauces. [4]
- FERMENTS: The first-year rhizomes should be added to local ferments, including kombucha. And if you experiment, please let me know how yours turn out.
- PRESERVES
- CANDY
- SAUCES
- IN VARIOUS DISHES
EDIBLE YOUNG SHOOTS AND RHIZOME TIPS: Young shoots, tender young white rhizome tips and young rhizomes are eaten raw or boiled.
EDIBLE FLOWERS: Young inflorescences are steamed & eaten with rice or used in stews. In Thailand, the "young inflorescence is available during the beginning of rainy season." [4]
MEDICINAL RHIZOMES: The rhizomes are used medicinally for thousands of years. It is a stomachic and febrifuge.
“It is used for curing fevers and for abdominal problems in the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia. [Perry, 1980]." [7]
Recipes
Citrusy Mango Ginger Salsa
Here's a recipe from for from The Mom 100 [blog]
I suggest replacing the "ginger" with "mango ginger."
Makes 2 cups
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups chopped mango
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice
½ grated fresh orange zest
3 tablespoons finely minced red onion
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger [better yet, ADD Mango Ginger]
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl add the mango, orange juice, lemon or lime juice, orange zest, red onion, ginger, olive oil, basil, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes and stir gently until well combined.
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AND, TO MAKE A SIMPLE MANGO GINGER CHUTNEY
also from Tarda Dalai
Prepare simple chutney with mango-ginger, turmeric, coconut gratings, ginger, green chillies, lemon juice and little sugar and salt.
Grind all the ingredients to fine paste without using water and serve it as accompaniment with any meal.
Temper chopped mango ginger in oil with mustard seeds, curry leaves and ginger. Serve this with curd rice.
HOW TO STORE MANGO GINGER
also from Tarda Dalai
Mango- Ginger should be kept in air-tight jars away from moisture. It can be refrigerated for upto 4-5 days.
They suggest using Mango Ginger [they do not list the species as either mangaa or amada though]to make:
TRY RECIPES USING MANGO GINGER IN
also from Tarda Dalai
Mango Ginger Mousse
Mango Ginger Mousse ( Mousses Recipe)
Mango Ginger Sorbet
Mango Flavored Ginger Pickle
NATIVE TO: India, Java, and possibly Thailand.
DESCRIPTION: An herbaceous perennial that goes dormant during the winter. To 130 cm. tall. [4]
- LEAVES: "Leaves narrowly ovate or elliptic with a purple costa or entirely green." [4]
- INFLORESCENCE: "Inflorescence spike-like, cylindric, produced outside the leaves. Mostly light green, lower bracts white, median green, terminal bracts violet red." [4]
- FLOWERS: Light yellow to yellow-green.
- RHIZOME: Flesh is pale yellow to cream colored. It has the "smell of young mango fruit." [4]
TAXONOMY IN QUESTION: “The taxonomy of the species is a subject of some confusion as some authorities have considered the name C. mangga as identical while others describe it as a distinct species with C. mangga being found in southern India while C. amada is of east Indian origin.“ The authorative website theplantlist.org lists this species as “accepted,” so I consider it a distinct species for this reason.
MISPELLING: It is often incorrectly spelled “mangaa.”
PROPAGATION: "Small pieces of rhizome with 3-4 buds, c. 50 gm, are planted at 20 by 50-70 cm spacing at the beginning of rainy season." [4]
More Details
Bearing Age
1 years
Habitat
Shady Gardens
Native?
Non-Native
Plant Form
Herbaceous
Deciduous
Perennial
Herb
Ease of growth
Easy
Light
Shade
Part Sun
Soil
Rich
Well-Drained
Spacing
2 feet
When to Propagate
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sources for acquiring
Bamboo Grove
Hawaiian Organic Ginger
Lustre Aquatics
References
[1] Hawaiian Organic Ginger
[2] theplantlist.org
[3] Polynesian Produce Stand
[4] Local Vegetables of Thailand
[5] The Mom 100 [blog] - salsa recipe
[6] Tarda Dalai [a culinary website out of Mumbai, India]
[7] Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvemnet: Medicinal Plants, edited by Ram Singh
[8] Multilimgual Multiscript Plant Name Database [Sorting Curcuma Names]