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Curcuma zedoaria

Zedoary
Curcuma zedoaria - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-048.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Curcuma
Species: C. zedoaria
Binomial name
Curcuma zedoaria
(Christm.) Roscoe
Synonyms
  • Amomum latifolium Lam.
  • Amomum latifolium Salisb.
  • Amomum zedoaria Christm.
  • Costus luteus Blanco
  • Curcuma malabarica Velay., Amalraj & Mural.
  • Curcuma pallida Lour.
  • Curcuma raktakanta Mangaly & M.Sabu
  • Curcuma speciosa Link
  • Erndlia zerumbet Giseke
  • Roscoea lutea (Blanco) Hassk.
  • Roscoea nigrociliata Hassk.

Curcuma zedoaria (zedoary, white turmeric, or kentjur) is a perennial herb and member of the genus Curcuma, family Zingiberaceae. The plant is native to India and Indonesia but now naturalized in other places including the US state of Florida. It was introduced to Europe by Arab traders around the sixth century, but its use as a spice in the West today is extremely rare, having been replaced by ginger, and to a lesser extent, yellow turmeric.

Zedoary grows in tropical and subtropical wet forest regions. The fragrant plant bears yellow flowers with red and green bracts and the underground stem section, a rhizome, is large and tuberous with numerous branches. The leaf shoots of the zedoary are large and can reach 1 meter (3 feet) in height.

The edible rhizome of zedoary has a white interior and a fragrance reminiscent of mango; however, its flavour is more similar to ginger, except with a very bitter aftertaste. In Indonesia, it is ground to a powder and added to make white curry pastes, whereas in India, it tends to be used fresh or in pickling. In Thai cuisine it is used raw and cut in thin strips in certain Thai salads. It can also be served cut into thin slices together with other herbs and vegetables with certain types of nam phrik (Thai chilli pastes).

The showy C. zedoaria is occasionally used as a houseplant.

The plant is used traditionally to treat inflammation, pain, and a variety of skin ailments including wounds, as well as menstrual irregularities and ulcers.


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