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Kencur

Kencur is a distinctive Southeast Asian aromatic rhizome with warm, earthy and camphor-like notes, used fresh, dried or ground in spice pastes.

Kencur — illustrative ingredient image

About Kencur

Kencur is a rhizome used as an aromatic culinary ingredient in Southeast Asian cooking. It is related to ginger but has its own distinctive, warm, earthy and camphor-like aroma. The fresh rhizome has pale flesh beneath a thin skin and is firm and fibrous; it can be grated, pounded, or sliced for cooking.

Kencur is also sold dried or ground, forms that are more concentrated and less juicy than the fresh rhizome. It is used in spice pastes, seasonings, and cooked dishes, often in small quantities for its characteristic fragrance. The name refers to the rhizome, not to generic ginger or ginger powder.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where kencur appears

3 linked foods

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Main dishes

Salads

Rice dishes

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for kencur

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Kencur

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Kencur nutrition & diet

Kencur nutritional value

Representative benchmark: Beef, not further specified

Representative nutrition benchmarkOfficial table values for a comparable food category, not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient.

Per 100 g of 100 g edible portion in the named official reference form.

Calories
154kcal
Protein
22.1g
Carbs
0.0g
Fat
7.2g

Representative benchmark from a comparable official food-composition category; it is not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient. The displayed reference form must be considered, and species, cultivar, recipe, brand, processing and preparation can change values.

Fresh rhizome, dried slices, and ground kencur differ in moisture and concentration, so compare like forms. Added ingredients in a paste or seasoning blend are not part of plain kencur.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: Pacific Nutrient Database 2020 — 01.1.2.2.1_99 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .