Roots and rhizomes

Turmeric, ginger, galangal and horseradish: dug, boiled, dried and ground, or used fresh.

A root or rhizome: knobbly, ringed and bright inside. Turmeric, ginger and galangal grow this way.

Root spices are the underground stems and roots of plants, such as turmeric, ginger, galangal, horseradish and wasabi. They are used fresh, dried or ground.

What they are

Turmeric, ginger and galangal are rhizomes, which are underground stems, while horseradish and some others are true roots. They are lifted after the plant dies back, washed and used fresh, or boiled, dried and ground. Turmeric gives a yellow colour and mild earthy taste, ginger a warm bite, and galangal a pine and citrus scent.

How they are used

Fresh roots are grated, sliced or pounded into pastes, as in Thai and Indonesian cooking. Dried ground roots go into curry powders, gingerbread, pickles and drinks. Many roots are also used as dyes and offerings.

Buying and keeping

Choose firm, plump roots without wrinkles or mould. Fresh ginger keeps for weeks in a cool place or the fridge, and can be frozen. Dried root powders should be kept in closed jars, away from light.

Root on EveryMasala

The spices written up so far, best known first.

🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreParsley A bright green herb from the celery family, used fresh across Europe and the Middle East.Leaf · Bitter · Herbal and green

🇮🇳 IndiaErode TurmericErodu Manjal A Geographical Indication turmeric from Tamil Nadu with high curcumin content.Root · Earthy and deep · Bitter

🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreCalifornian white sage An aromatic desert shrub whose seeds flavour maize foods and roots make tonic teaSeed · Herbal and green · Sharp and pungent

🇮🇳 India and 4 moreEast Indian arrowrootകൂവ A wild South Asian ginger valued for its turmeric-scented foliage and starchy rhizome.Root · Earthy and deep · Herbal and green

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreTemulawak The rhizome of a Javanese ginger relative, used for its earthy flavour and traditional wellness drinks.Root · Earthy and deep · Bitter

🇮🇳 India and 2 moreWild turmericKasthuri Manjal A South Asian rhizome with a musky scent, used for colouring and skin care.Root · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇦🇫 Afghanistan and 5 moreLovageлюбисток A tall European herb with celery-like leaves and spicy seeds used in soups and broths.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreGreater galangalข่า The pungent rhizome of a ginger relative, essential in Southeast Asian soups and curries.Root · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright

🇮🇳 IndiaBlack turmeric A blue-skinned rhizome from northeast India, boiled and dried for its camphor scent.Root · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreIndian costusकुष्ठ (kuṣṭha) The dried root of a Himalayan thistle, used for centuries in perfumes and traditional remedies.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

🇯🇵 Japan and 3 moreWasabiわさび The pungent rhizome of a stream-side plant, grated fresh for sushi.Paste · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery

🇭🇺 Hungary and 5 moreHorseradish A pungent root vegetable from Southeastern Europe used as a spicy condiment.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreGalangal The pungent rhizome of the ginger family, essential to Southeast Asian soups and pastes.Root · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreZedoarytemu putih A bitter rhizome from the ginger family, once common in Austronesian kitchens.Root · Bitter · Sharp and pungent 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreLesser galangal高良薑 An aromatic Asian rhizome with orange flesh and a sweet, gentle spiceRoot · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreTurmericहल्दी The dried rhizome of a tropical ginger relative, prized for its golden color and earthy bite.Root · Warm and sweet-spiced · Bitter

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreGinger The pungent rhizome of a flowering perennial, one of the world's most traded spices.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 2 morePiper chaba A creeping vine from South and Southeast Asia whose stems and roots are used as a pungent spice.Root · Sharp and pungent · Hot and fiery

🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreSassafras An aromatic tree of North America and East Asia, famed for filé powder and root teaLeaf · Citrus and bright · Anise and liquorice

🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreKencur沙姜 A stemless ginger-family rhizome with a peppery, camphorous biteRoot · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green

🇻🇳 Vietnam and 4 moreHouttuynia折耳根 A heart-shaped herb with a sharp fishy taste used in salads and teas across Asia.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright

🇮🇳 India and 5 moreGinger The pungent rhizome of a flowering plant, widely used as a spice and folk medicine.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Parsley: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Indian costus: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Lovage: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Wasabi: Qwert1234, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Horseradish: Pethan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Sassafras: Randy Everette, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Houttuynia: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Kencur: Hariadhi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Ginger: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, source
East Indian arrowroot: Jeevan Jose, Kerala, India, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Temulawak: Ariyanto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Wild turmeric: goldentakin, CC BY 2.0, source
Californian white sage: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Erode Turmeric: Sivaranjani, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Greater galangal: Raffi Kojian, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Turmeric: J.M.Garg, CC BY 3.0, source
Ginger: Venkatx5, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Piper chaba: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Black turmeric: Ramesh Raju, CC BY-SA 4.0, source