Black Ginger: The Purple Rhizome Steeped in Rice Wine

Black Ginger (Krachai Dam) — กระชายดำ (kra-chai-dam) — Kaempferia parviflora.

Slice this root and the inside is a deep, inky purple-black, carrying a peppery heat sharper than common ginger. It grows wild in Thailand's northern hills, where it's been prized for centuries as krachai dam. The part people use is that dark-colored root. In northern Thailand, black ginger is steeped in rice liquor as a men's stamina tonic, or dried into a dark, peppery tea. The human trials tested concentrated extracts, not this tea or liquor, and the reported performance and fat-loss effects were modest. Treat the drink as a traditional preparation, not a proven therapy.

Ya Dong Krachai Dam — ยาดองกระชายดำ (ya-dong-kra-chai-dam)
Nam Krachai Dam — น้ำกระชายดำ (nam-kra-chai-dam)

Food and nutrients

Rich in: fiber

Research context

In trials, a concentrated black-ginger extract improved physical performance in older adults — Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2012

Sources

Source: Elderly physical-performance RCT — Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012; PMID:22899957. Athlete physical-fitness RCT — Med Sci Monit Basic Res 2015; PMID:25957542. Visceral-fat RCT — Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes 2018; PMID:30214264.

Narration transcript

Opening

Black ginger — กระชายดำ, kra-chai-dam. Slice this root and the inside is a deep, inky purple-black, carrying a peppery heat sharper than common ginger. It grows wild in Thailand's northern hills, where it's been prized for centuries as krachai dam. The part people use is that dark-colored root.

Ya Dong Krachai Dam (ยาดองกระชายดำ)

Slices of the rhizome are steeped in Thai rice liquor for weeks into ya dong krachai dam, a bitter herbal tonic sipped in small measures.

Nam Krachai Dam (น้ำกระชายดำ)

Dried rhizome is brewed into a dark decoction called nam krachai dam sweetened with a little honey and drunk warm.

Fiber

Fiber adds bulk to meals and can help with fullness.

Closing

In northern Thailand, black ginger is steeped in rice liquor as a men's stamina tonic, or dried into a dark, peppery tea. It grows from a rhizome in loose hill soil and dies back each dry season, storing all that color underground until you dig it. One real caution: it can relax blood vessels a little, so if you take nitrate heart medication or an ED drug like sildenafil, talk to your doctor before using it. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.

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