Growing demand for Thai and southeast Asian dishes has seen Bedfordshire-based Parripak Foods begin processing Galangal alongside its fresh vegetables and garlic purees.

The physical shape of this knobbly, butter-coloured root meant the company had to re-think the best way to achieve the perfect puree. Marketing manager Dominic Pleasance explains: "We have had to make various modifications to our processing machinery as it has had to work much harder to produce the consistency we require, but the end result is an extremely good product."

The Galangal herb belongs to the ginger family of plants, characterised externally by a dark reddish brown colour. Although it resembles ginger in appearance, it has a completely different taste. The finished puree has a strong aromatic odour and a sharp, sweet taste, which has been likened to a mix of pepper and pine needles.

The product has a 10-day shelf-life.