Kaempferia galanga, commonly known as kencur, aromatic ginger, sand ginger, cutcherry or resurrection lily, is a monocotyledonous plant in the ginger family. It is found primarily in open areas in Indonesia, southern China, Taiwan, Cambodia and India, but is also widely cultivated throughout Southeast Asia. The plant is used as a herb in cooking in Indonesia.
The rhizomes of the plant, which contain essential oils, have been used in Chinese medicine as a decoction or powder for treating indigestion, colds, pectoral and abdominal pains, headache and toothache. A purified extract of Kaempferia galanga and polyester-8 stabilize the UV absorptive properties of sunscreen combinations containing avobenzone.K. galanga extracts possesses antioxidant antiinflammatory and analgesic activities. Kaempferia galanga contains up to 2.5% ethyl p-methoxycinnamate, which may be useful as a potential anti-tuberculosis lead molecule.