Common names:
Fingerroot, temu kunci, finger root, gazhutu, kachai, krachai, kasay, Chinese ginger, Thai ginger, suo shi, Chinese key, fingerwurz, Cínan zázvor, Kínai gyömbér, Gajutu, Bông nga truât are the common names of fingerroot.
Fingerroot (Boesenbergia rotunda), also known as Chinese ginger, is a medicinal and culinary herb from China and Southeast Asia. In English, the root has traditionally been called Fingerroot, because the shape of the rhizome resembles that of fingers growing out of a center piece.
Fingerroot is included in the Zingiberaceae family of plants and resembles a lot with the lesser galangal or alpinia officinarum. The scientific names for the fingerroot are bosenbergia pandurata and kaempferia pandurata.
Fingerroot is either biennial or perennial and has pink-purple flowers and tall leaves. Fingerroot is original from Southern China and Southeast Asia and it contains up to 3 % essential oil, which is the base for various aromas. The plant has an original long shape, which is easy to recognize, although it is only available in Asian food stores.
Fingerroot contains 1 to 3% of an essential oil. Several aroma components have been identified, 1-8 cineol, camphor, d-borneol and methyl cinnamate being the most important. Trace com-ponents are d-pinene, zingiberene, zingiberone, curcumin, zedoarin and others. In other context, the rose-flavored monoterpenoid alcohols geraniol and nerol are named.
Scientific classification:
| Kingdom |
: |
Plantae |
| (Unranked) |
: |
Angiosperms |
| (Unranked) |
: |
Monocots |
| (Unranked) |
: |
Commelinids |
| Order |
: |
Zingiberales |
| Family |
: |
Zingiberaceae |
| Genus |
: |
Boesenbergia |
| Species |
: |
B. rotunda |