Our 4 spicy secrets to warm up winter cooking

Our philosophy at La Plantation revolves around the idea that each season brings with it a unique palette of flavours, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and iconic dishes that we love to return to year after year. Adapting the use of spices to suit the seasons is an art we cherish.

In winter, when the fresh air calls for warm, comforting dishes, we highlight four of our local treasures: Galanga, Ginger, Lemongrass and Star anise. Each of these ingredients becomes an essential protagonist in our winter culinary adaptation, contributing its own unique notes to create a symphony of flavours that warms body and soul.

Respecting seasonal fruit and vegetables is a tribute to nature, allowing us to enjoy produce grown in optimal conditions, bursting with flavour and nutrients. By taking advantage of recipes that are specific to the season, we create an authentic connection with our environment, offering a culinary experience that celebrates the diversity of produce while honouring the natural rhythm of the agricultural cycle.

Especially during the winter season, with its many festivities, spices can create unique gastronomic memories, and enhance your favourite seasonal dishes, to be shared with loved ones to warm up!

Galangal, with its spicy, slightly lemony notes, is a perfect ally for winter dishes. Discovering our Galangal in powdered or wild form means immersing yourself in a unique taste experience, highlighting the aromatic richness of this exceptional spice. Our Galangal powder, dehydrated then ground the same day it’s harvested, makes it easy to use in all your winter culinary creations. The Wild version, even more intense, reveals all the depth of its character. Galangal can also be enjoyed as an infusion, with our Galangal Petals, in herbal teas or added to broths.

Recipe ideas: Galangal powder, with its silky texture, goes perfectly with comforting sauces, such as béchamel or chicken sauce. It adds a subtle but distinctive touch, bringing out the best in each ingredient, like a natural flavour enhancer!
Add it to your soups for an unrivalled depth of flavour. Imagine a pumpkin soup with galangal, a fusion of sweetness and warmth that comforts even the coldest of days. Or try adding it to meat stews or bone or vegetable broths for an exotic touch.

Benefits: Galangal is said to have anti-inflammatory and digestive properties, bringing a soothing warmth to your winter dishes. By stimulating digestion, galanga contributes to comfort after each meal, allowing you to fully savour every mouthful without discomfort. An ideal spice to add to winter’s more gourmet dishes!

Let yourself be seduced by the enchanting aroma of Galangal, which transports your senses to the distant lands of Kampot.

Ginger is a thick, gnarled, edible root extracted from the Zingiber officinale plant. Native to Asia, this plant is widely cultivated for its pungent, slightly sweet root with characteristic aromas. Cambodian ginger, renowned for its intense flavour and robust aromas, is grown in the ideal conditions of the region’s fertile soil, giving this root a distinctive quality and a unique spicy character. Emblematic of the richness of the Cambodian soil, this ginger adds a warm, spicy dimension to many culinary preparations.

Ginger, with its piquant heat, is an essential winter spice. We offer it in 2 powdered versions, Young or Wild. As their names suggest, our young ginger has a very fresh flavour and will surprise you if you’re used to the powdered ginger you find on the market. Our Wild Ginger is our most intense version and will win over fans of this unique flavour.

Recipe ideas: Use Ginger to spice up your meat dishes, giving a spicy dimension to your roast beef or pork. For an invigorating hot drink, infuse Ginger Petals in your herbal tea, or add a little Young Ginger powder to a hot chocolate. It’s the key to bringing soothing warmth to your chilly day. Let yourself be seduced by this recipe for Ginger Cake, for a gourmet snack that’s sure to delight the whole family this festive season!

Benefits: Ginger, with its characteristic intense heat, is not only an explosion of flavour, but also a stimulant for the body. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties make ginger a valuable ally during the colder months. It could help boost the immune system and provide invigorating energy, while soothing winter ailments.

This winter, add warmth to your gourmet dishes, sweet or savoury, with our different ginger varieties.

Lemongrass, with its exotic freshness, offers a refreshing balance to rich, hearty winter dishes. Lemongrass is an aromatic herb widely used in cooking, particularly in Asian cuisine. It belongs to the Poaceae family and is known for its distinctive lemony aroma. The most commonly used variety is Eastern lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), which originated in tropical Asia.

The part of lemongrass most commonly used in cooking is the stem, which is pale green to white at the base and becomes greener towards the top. For cooking, we generally use the lower part of the stalk, which has an intense lemony flavour. We dehydrate and powder these Lemongrass Stems on the day they are harvested, in the heart of our tropical garden in Kampot, southern Cambodia.
To make the most of all the parts of the plant, we also dehydrate the Lemongrass Leaves, to be enjoyed as an infusion after dinner!

Recipe ideas: Add powdered Lemongrass Stems to marinades for fish or poultry, adding an Asian touch to your winter meals. A tom kha gai soup, with its lemongrass base and Combava leaves, is a taste experience that will transport your taste buds to faraway lands while warming you up. You can reproduce this recipe for Coconut Chicken with Lemongrass this winter, a comforting dish that’s ideal for introducing children to spices.

Benefits: As well as its exotic freshness, lemongrass is said to have a host of health benefits. Its antimicrobial and digestive properties make it perfect for winter dishes. By promoting healthy digestion, lemongrass helps prevent discomfort after hearty meals, offering a culinary experience that not only nourishes your palate but also your well-being.

Bring a dose of freshness and authentic Cambodian flavour, with our different lemongrass varieties, as delicious as they are good for you!

Star anise, with its mystical, slightly sweet aroma, is the icing on the cake of your winter dishes. Star anise, also known as badiane, is a spice that comes from the fruit of the badian tree (Illicium verum), native to China. Star anise gets its name from its characteristic star shape, made up of eight to twelve spiky “branches”. Each spike contains a small brown seed.
The spice has a distinctive flavour, reminiscent of aniseed, with slightly sweet and spicy notes. Star anise is often used in Asian cooking, particularly in Chinese cuisine, but it is also present in some European cuisines, especially in Northern Europe, and is particularly popular in desserts and Christmas cakes.

Recipe ideas: Add a hint of star anise to your desserts for an enchanting flavour. Add some to a pear compote with star anise, a divine way to round off your winter meal. We love this recipe for Pineapple Tartelette, an original idea to round off a Christmas or New Year’s meal, or for a family snack. It can also be used to enhance savoury dishes such as sauces, stews and especially meat dishes like lamb or stewed beef, creating a sweet and savoury harmony that will delight your guests.

Benefits: Star anise’s antioxidant properties are thought to help protect the body’s cells against free radicals, boosting your immune system. Adding star anise to your winter recipes adds a spicy touch to your health, making it an essential winter ally.

Discover new flavours this season with Badiane, and its intense aniseed aromas, which will enhance your savoury and sweet dishes!

At La Plantation, we believe in the power of spices to transform a simple recipe into a memorable culinary experience. Galanga, ginger, lemongrass and star anise, lovingly grown on our organic farm in Cambodia, can become the new heroes of your winter dishes. Whether adding subtle warmth, fiery fire, exotic freshness or a touch of mystery, our spices are ready to awaken your senses and warm your soul during the coldest months of the year. Try La Plantation and discover the authentic flavours of Kampot, offering a culinary experience that transcends borders and awakens your palate to new possibilities!