Blue Ginger (Alpinia Galanga)

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Herbal Essences Blue Ginger shampoos and conditioners include real Blue Ginger, as certified by plant experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Blue ginger is also known as galangal, Thai ginger or Siamese ginger

What is blue ginger?

Blue ginger, also called ‘galangal’, ‘Thai ginger’ or ‘Siamese ginger’, was first harvested in central Asia. For centuries, blue ginger has been used in cooking and for medicinal purposes. As the years passed, blue ginger spread around the world. It is commonly eaten, especially in Asian cooking, or drunk as a tea. Many people still use it as a traditional remedy.

It can be easy to mix up blue ginger and regular ginger because of their similar appearance, but they taste very different. Blue ginger has a sharp, citrusy flavour, while regular ginger is fresh and pungently spicy. Don’t mix them up in a recipe!

Blue ginger is not as well-known, even though it comes with a wide range of benefits. Blue ginger is believed to be a rich source of iron, sodium and vitamins A and C. It is also believed to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties – and it's great for your beauty regime!

Herbal Essences Blue Ginger collection makes your hair silky and shiny, giving it volume and a healthy, radiant look.

Where does blue ginger come from?

Blue ginger is also known as galangal. This plant is a flowering plant that can grow up to a two metres long, with wide and long blade-like leaves. Its flowers have a beautiful greenish-white color.

Galangal is native to Indonesia, but has spread through many Asian countries, mainly in the South East.