In my opinion, a tropical garden cannot be complete without a torch ginger (Etlingera elatior). It is mainly grown for its beautiful flowers that are both used as a cut-flower as well as for flavouring purposes in the kitchen. The common name of this ginger is derived from the close appearance of its opened flowers to a flaming torch. How adept is the time of this post on this blog since the Olympic torch relay is now taking place in China!
The bud of the torch ginger flower has important uses in the Asian kitchen. In Singapore, it is best known for its use to flavour the salad dish called rojak. As such, it has earned itself the name “rojak flower”.
I bought a torch ginger plant from a local nursery and planted it in my ginger garden almost a year ago. Just a few weeks ago, it delighted me by producing a flower bud for the first time!!! To my surprise, the bracts covering the bud are an off-white colour and I thought, “Isn’t this the pink flowered torch ginger plant that I bought? If it is, then the bracts should be pinkish in colour and not white!”
It took the bud another two weeks to develop fully before it unfurl its bracts to reveal the colour inside and the verdict was out. What I got in my garden is the relatively uncommon (I won’t put it as rare) white torch ginger. Yay!
This torch ginger plant also really know how to put a smile on my face. Besides this one inflorescence it has sent up from the ground, there are another three flower spikes that have emerged over the weekend and I am very happy when I saw that. I just hope no neighbours will go help themselves with a knife to cut these precious buds for their rojak!
Wilson Wong
hi! am from Bukidnon, phillipines. i collected almost 20 kinds of heliconias and ginger plants. but i have the hardest time looking for white ginger torch. where could i possibly buy it just near my place?
Hey, check out Etlingera corneri (AKA Siam Rose).
it’s gorgeous too.