Cekur (Kaempferia galanga) is a herb I have tried to grow numerous times with very limited success over the years. Even if it sprouted and I tended to it with the tenderest of care, it inevitably dies. It does not matter if I keep it in the house or outside..
This year I planted the cekur in Temecula instead of San Diego. Temecula's climate is more extreme; hotter in the summer than San Diego with a chance of frost in winter. So far, it has been a fine balance of watering, shade and heat. Too wet and the tuber rots. Too dry, they become dry and shrivelled. Then there are the snails that absolutely love to devour them.
Temecula went through a weekend of over 100F this past weekend. I made sure that the cekur had the moisture to combat the heat. I was handsomely rewarded by a delicate and beautiful bloom that rivals and resembles an orchid!!
This year I also managed to get some roots of the Krachai (Boesenbergia rotunda). I first took notice of this ginger when I tasted its unique taste in a Thai Green curry with fish ball (kaeng khiaw waan ). I love the taste of this ginger and I cannot get enough if it!! Like Cekur, Krachai also known as Temu Kunci in Malaysia is finicky about moisture and heat. Also, like Cekur, it loved the hot, hot weather we had been having. It too sprouted buds of flower at the base of the plant. Unfortunately, since I am not in Temecula, I cannot watch the flower unfold.... I am told it looks like an orchid. Hopefully, I will be able to see the flower in bloom sometime during the season.
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