Difference between Thai ingredients ginza and galangal?

Question

I have a cookbook from a Thailand cooking school for tourists that lists

1 Tbsp galangal chopped finely

and then

6-8 cm ginza, skin removed (substitute: old dull ginger)

I assumed from this recipe that they’re separate ingredients but in looking online I’ve found some few sources containing both terms and they seem to indicate they are the same ingredient.

Are they the same? Different? It’s difficult to find information on “ginza” as an ingredient, and much easier to find articles on galangal.

Answer 1

Welcome to the extremely confusing world of rhizomes! Thai cuisine uses different rhizomes for curry pastes extensively, and naming of these is not at all consistent. For example, any of the following three roots might get referred to as "galangal":

• Greater Galangal, also known as "Thai Ginger" or Kha
• Lesser Galangal, also called Kha Tadang
• Fingerroot, also known (confusingly) as Lesser Galangal, or Krachai

However, none of these appear to be commonly referred to as "ginza", or any word that could be poorly transliterated that way. However, I have found a handful of references to "ginza root" and they seem to always refer to greater galangal. So in the recipe that refers separately to "galangal" alongsize ginza, the second reference probably refers to either fingerroot or lesser galangal. I'd try fingerroot first, since it's more common.