Galangal herb is a plant which grows sturdy, high between 1.5 - 2.5 m. stem ginger is soft because of the fictitious bar formed from the set-midrib leaf midrib. There are two types of galangal, namely galangal rhizome which has a white color and a reddish rhizomes.
Plants that were old enough issue greenish white flowers. Interest will be out when the plant is quite old, growing from the tip of the plant. The flowers and petals erect bell-shaped, greenish white, long and slender-stemmed.
Content of substances contained in plants of this herb is essential oil of greenish yellow color and distinctive smell and taste bitter galangal. The content of the oil attrition, among others methyl cinnamaat 48%, cineol 20% - 30%, camphor, d-alpha-pinen, galangin, and eugenol 3% - 4%. It also contained other substances, such as galangol, hydrates hexahydorcadalene, camphor, sesquiterpene, yellow crystals, and cadinine.