Etlingera elatior
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Etlingera elatior | ||||||||||||||
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Etlingera elatior K.Schum. |
Etlingera elatior (Torch Ginger or Ginger Flower) is a species of herbaceous perennial plant. Botanical synonyms include Nicolaia elatior and Phaeomeria speciosa.
The showy pink flowers are used in decorative arrangements while the flower buds are an important ingredient in the Nonya dish laksa. In North Sumatra, the flower buds are used for a dish called arsik ikan mas (Andaliman Peppercorn Spiced Carps)
It is known in Indonesianas "bunga kecombrang " or "honje", Malay as bunga kantan and Thai as kaalaa.
In Karo, it is known as asam cekala (asam meaning 'sour'), and the flower buds, but more importantly the ripe seed pods, which are packed with small black seeds, are an essential ingredient of the Karo version of sayur asam, and are particularly suited to cooking fresh fish.