the pink torch ginger

two plants of the ginger family that i often come across in my nature walks are the torch ginger and the african spiral flag.

the bud of the torch ginger is used by the rojak seller to spice up his salad. some penang laksa sellers also used the shredded bud in their laksa.

the torch ginger plant can be found growing in the wild. it is quite easy to identify as the plants are taller and the leaves are larger than other ginger species.

the torch ginger blooms all the year round. its inflorescence comes in three colours - pink, red and white. i have not seen the white variety. i think it is the rarest among the three. the pink variety produces the most flowers. maybe, that is why we always see the rojak seller using the pink bud.