Torch ginger flower

Etlingera elatior · Edible flower

40 pairings

Torch ginger (bunga kantan in Malay, also called ginger flower or wild ginger flower) is the vivid pink, waxy flower bud of a tall tropical ginger relative. Harvested young and tight, before the bud opens into its true blossom, it is finely sliced into Southeast Asian dishes — laksa, rojak, Nyonya salads and sour fish stews — where it lends a bright, sour-citrusy, resinous-ginger perfume found in no other ingredient.

Picking a good onedrag

Tight, waxy, sharply perfumedFlared and browned, or never food

Market freshPeel the tough outer bracts away, then slice the pale core crosswise into thin feathery ribbons for rojak and sambal. Use it sparingly, the perfume is strong.Everyday best

Where it came fromProduce aisle or farm stall, sold to eat

The budFirm cone, outermost bracts just lifting

Smell at a cut bractCitrus quieter, still gingery and floral

What to look for, from tight, waxy, sharply perfumed to flared and browned, or never food.

Preparing