Now my torch ginger flower is fully opened so I took the opportunity to photograph it.
This post is dedicated to Ms Helen of My Rustic Bajan Garden for being the first commenter of my previous post, Torch Ginger Etlingera elatior - Pink & White.
According to wikipedia, Etlingera elatior or Torch Ginger is also known as Ginger Flower, Red Ginger Lily, Torch Lily, Wild Ginger, Combrang, Bunga Siantan, Philippine Wax Flower, Xiang Bao Jiaing, Indonesian Tall Ginger, Boca de Dragón, Rose de Porcelaine and Porcelain Rose. In Malaysia, we call it bunga kantan.
We usually cut off the flowers during the budding stage for use in cooking, so they 'disappear' before they can fully open.
The numerous pink 'petals' are actually the bracts. The real flower is the red cone shaped scales which appear on the outside circumference of the flower.
This a cut cross-section of the flower bud that we use in nyonya or peranakan cooking. It is also used to cook assam laksa (Malay style) and tom yam (Thai style). Some dishes include:
a) Thai tom yam soup - finely chopped as garnishing or whole flower bud is crushed and cooked
b) Assam laksa - as garnishing or crushed and cooked.
c) Perut ikan (pickled fish tripe soup)
d) Deep fried chicken (e.g. boxing chicken) - finely chopped flower bud is used as marinade
e) Rojak (a mixed fruits and vegetable dish) - as garnishing
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What beautiful photography. Is is great to get a peek at the exotic world you live in.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful shots Autumn. The Ginger bloom is beautiful anyway but up close it takes on a whole different view. Beautiful!
ReplyDeletewhat a great bloom in such a gorgeous color!
ReplyDeleteYes, thanks for the peek and your outstanding series of photos.
ReplyDeleteTorch Ginger is so beautiful! I admire it whenever I see it growing, but I never knew it was edible. Thank you for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteThank you Autumn Belle, your listed use of this ginger is phenomenal. I can't wait to try cooking with this ginger.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting bloom! One word, exotic!
ReplyDeleteI always learn something interesting here. It's not just pretty pictures. heheh. I have never seen a ginger plant and had no idea there was a flower involved. It sort of reminds me of a dahlia flower. A mass of them must look quite spectacular. Thank you for teaching me something new...again. :-)
ReplyDeleteSuper-Amazing photos !!!!!!wow!! Lovely post...!
ReplyDeleteDeborah, Lona, Tootsie, Awarewriter, Villager, Helen, Tatyana, LeSan, Kiki.
ReplyDeleteHappy Morning from Malaysia!
Actually, this is my first time of seeing the real flowers inside the bracts. I always thought it was one whole flower.
The long stalk makes it easy to cut and put in any vase, big or small. It can last for days.
What a beautiful flower. Great pictures!
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful flower - I can't imagine eating it!
ReplyDeleteThat's so beautiful Autumnbelle! Thanks for showing and have a great day.
ReplyDeleteCatherine, Jay, Stephanie. I just cut off a yellowed stalk of leaves. It has grown to about 15ft tall!
ReplyDeletegorgeous ginger photos!
ReplyDeleteA little exotic and simply beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThat bloom is so pretty. I think it would be hard to use... it is unique!
ReplyDeleteWow.
ReplyDeleteIm sure your kitchen would have flooded with the ginger floral fragrance. It look so much like the babycorn. So many tender layers, amazing.
Tammy, Amy, Poetic Shutterbug, James. Thank you very much for the visit and nice comments. You are thinking of baby corn? I was thinking of lotus flower. But the name creator says it was a torch. Ha Ha.
ReplyDelete