So far we know 3 variations of Etlingera elatior, the red Torch Ginger, the pink Torch Ginger and the white Torch Ginger. Etlingera elatior, also called Red Ginger Lily, Torch Lily, Porcelain Rose or Wax Ginger is grown for 2 purposes, first for its beautiful, big and long-lasting flowers, which are used for floral decorations and flower bouquets and secondly for culinary purposes. Buds of the torch ginger are used in the southeast Asian cuisine for its flavour. In Singapore the buds, also called Rojak Flowers,are used for a salad dish called Rojak and for the famous Laksa, a spicy soup from the Chinese - Malay Peranakan cuisine (Nyonya cuisine).

The erect inflorescences of Etlingera elatior can reach a length of more than 1 meter, flowers get a size of about 25 cm in diameter. Etlingera elatior is native to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, but nowadays widely spread throughout tropical countries worldwide.

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Image: Etlingera elatior, Red Torch Ginger
Photographer: Posantor “Chocolate” Saelie