Torch Ginger – keeping it handy
Torch ginger flower is one of the regular condiments used in flavouring our local food. There 
are a few colours – red, white and pink – with variation in shades dependent of soil and nutrients. I have found that there are several factors in having a healthy torch ginger plant and having it flower. The first factor is space. This plant needs room to spread as the leaves and flowers grow on individual stalks/stems from the rhizome. Hence in order to have more flowers, the rhizome needs to be able to grow horizontally from which the stems/stalks will emerge.
The second important factor is availability of water. You can find them growing naturally along the riverside as well as in jungles that get a good rainfall. Hence, if you are growing them in your gardens, apart from space, you need to ensure that the soil has good water content. On the other hand, it doesn’t seem to flower should it be frequently submerged in water, leading to the third factor: the soi
It loves well-drained soil but with good organic content so that the soi
l can retain moisture for it to access but not causing the roots to be “flooded” with water. Just imagine that in natural setting
, decades or even longer, of natural decomposition of natural organic matter being added to the soil, hence this is the type of optimum soil condition. Hence, it doesn’t do well in heavy clay soil. You can always improve the soil condition by adding sand as well as organic matter.
The main target is to get lots of flowers as this is what we harvest to consume. In nature, it is naturally fertilised by animal droppings as well as from de
composition of dead animals over a period of time, which contains calcium, magnesium and other minerals. So at the farm, we use animal manure such as chicken and goat manure as well as using fish amino acids (FAA) which we produce at the farm.
Having the above factors, the one other remaining important factor is sunlight. It does best in full sunlight but a minimum of 6 hours should be fine.
The torch ginger flower can be harvested at different stages. Commercially, you will find the buds of the torch ginger. However, I find the flavour of the torch ginger is better when the petals have started to open. If I want to consume them fresh, I will place them in a vase in my home, treating it like other fresh cut flowers but not adding anything to the water as I want to consume it, I rarely keep them refrigerated. I find that the torch ginger is a good addition to hot, plain rice. Just slice them thinly and add to the rice. The aroma and flavour makes it an enticing rice dish. As many of you know, it is also a good addition to nasi kerabu as one of the ulam used. To the asam pedal and laksa asam connoisseurs, you know that it is a must ingredient to the dish.
If you are into taking baths, the flowers are also a good addition to the hot water in your bath, creating a herbal bath that removes bodily odours. It is also good to combine it with citronella when creating a herbal aromatherapy bath.
Being flowers, there is a limited time before it decays and becomes no longer consumable. The best way that I have found to retain all the flavour and nutrients is to dehydrate them. I do not sun-dry them or expose them to the open air surroundings as I do not want it to be contaminated not make the drying process weather-dependent. The petals are separated before placing them in a dehydrator to dry. This way, it can last for at least 6 months and if stored correctly, longer. For the purposes of dehydrating, I use full-bloomed flowers – the stage before it starts forming the seed pods. The flavour is highest at this time. It can be stored in air-tight containers at room temperature and be readily available for the laksa, asam pedas and many other dishes. You can also add the dehydrated petals to your hot bath water instead of the fresh petals.
