Galangal is a spice in the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family, which also includes ginger and turmeric. It’s a rhizome, an underground plant stem that expels roots and shoots from the plant's nodes.

According to Vu Lien, a resident of Dien Bien City, galangal sprouts grow year-round, but they’re most abundant in early spring, mid-summer, and early autumn. During these periods, locals gather the ...