If you have ever eaten Penang asam laksa, you have tasted bunga kantan. The pink-red bud sliced thin and floated on top. It contributes about a third of the dish's character. As an ingredient, it is one of the most-distinctive flavours in Malaysian cooking. As a cocktail ingredient, it is almost unexplored. We have been experimenting with it for a couple of years.

What it actually is

Bunga kantan is the flower bud of the torch ginger plant (Etlingera elatior), a tall ginger relative native to Southeast Asia. The bud is harvested before it opens; it looks like a closed pink-red cone, about the size of a large strawberry. The plant is common in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, with slightly different names in each country.

The flavour: distinctly tropical, somewhere between ginger, lemongrass, and a faint rose-like floral. The texture when sliced is crunchy. The smell is sharper than the taste; chopping it releases a perfume that fills the kitchen.

Where you have already eaten it

Beyond asam laksa, bunga kantan shows up in several Malaysian and Indonesian dishes. Nasi ulam (the Malay herb rice). Rojak. Some sambals. Indonesian sambal matah uses raw bunga kantan as its centrepiece. In Penang and Northern Peninsula cooking generally, it is a major herb. South of KL it is less common but still findable.

What it brings to a drink

Three things that are hard to get from other ingredients.

A specific tropical-floral profile. Not quite ginger, not quite lemongrass, not quite rose, with elements of all three. The combination reads as "Southeast Asian" in a way most western floral ingredients (elderflower, lavender, rose) do not.

A pink colour without artificial means. Bunga kantan infusions and syrups pick up a soft pink that looks deliberately tropical.

An aromatic top note that is alien to most drinkers. If your guest has never had bunga kantan, the first sip of a bunga kantan drink is a small surprise. That moment is half of why we use the ingredient.

Three ways we use it

1. Bunga kantan syrup. Steep one or two finely-sliced flowers in warm 1:1 simple syrup for 30 to 60 minutes. Strain. The syrup picks up the colour and the perfume. Use it in spritzes, in gin sours, in a Bandung variant.

2. Bunga kantan-infused gin. Take 500ml of a clean London Dry gin, add three or four sliced flowers, leave for 12 to 24 hours, strain. The gin picks up a tropical-floral nose without losing its juniper structure. We use this in a tropical Martini variant.

3. Bunga kantan tincture. Steep flowers in high-proof neutral spirit (Everclear-style, around 60% ABV) for a week. Strain. The result is a concentrated tincture, used a few drops at a time in any drink that wants a hit of bunga kantan flavour without adding volume.

What pairs with bunga kantan

Following the flavour wheel:

  • Citrus: lime above all. Calamansi works beautifully. Lemon is a step back.
  • Other tropical floral notes: elderflower, jasmine, osmanthus.
  • Coconut: the classic Southeast Asian pairing; bunga kantan and coconut feel naturally aligned.
  • White spirits: gin (especially London Dry), vodka, white rum. Tequila works.
  • Soft herbal partners: basil, mint, kaffir lime leaf.

What we have found does not pair: brown spirits (bourbon, aged rum), heavy bitter elements (Campari), strong roasted notes (coffee). Bunga kantan is too delicate for those.

A sketch of a drink we have been pouring

Loose recipe; treat as a starting sketch.

  • Gin (London Dry or our bunga-kantan-infused version)
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Bunga kantan syrup
  • A small splash of coconut water
  • Top with chilled soda

Shake the gin, lime, and syrup with ice. Strain over fresh ice in a highball. Top with soda and a small float of coconut water. Garnish with a thin slice of bunga kantan on the rim and a single fresh kaffir lime leaf.

The drink reads as a tropical highball with a distinctly local character. We have not put it on a menu permanently; we pour it when we have fresh bunga kantan and the mood is right. Ask if it is on offer.

Where to source in the Klang Valley

Most PJ wet markets have bunga kantan when it is in season (which is most of the year; the plant fruits multiple times). TTDI wet market, the Section 17 morning market, and Pasar Borong Selangor are all reliable. A bud costs RM 2 to 4. One bud makes enough syrup for ten to twelve drinks; you do not need many.

Storage: keep in the fridge wrapped in a damp paper towel. Lasts about a week. Slice just before use; cut bunga kantan oxidises and loses aroma within an hour.

If you have a torch ginger plant in your garden (they grow easily in Malaysia), you have an essentially-free supply of one of the most-interesting cocktail aromatics we know.

One small thing about local ingredients

Bunga kantan is the kind of ingredient that international cocktail culture has not really discovered yet. There is no Instagram-famous bartender doing a bunga kantan menu in Tokyo or New York. That gap is opportunity. Malaysian bartenders, including us, are slowly building the vocabulary for what Southeast Asian cocktails can look like in 2026. Bunga kantan is one of the words.

If you have a bunga kantan drink idea, or you grow torch ginger and want to talk supply, message us at the bar. The local cocktail vocabulary is still being written. It is easy to add to.

Related reading

Frequently asked questions

What is bunga kantan?

Bunga kantan is the flower bud of the torch ginger plant (Etlingera elatior), a tall ginger relative native to Southeast Asia. The closed pink-red cone is harvested before it opens and used in Malaysian and Indonesian cooking, most famously sliced thin over Penang asam laksa. The flavour sits between ginger, lemongrass, and a faint rose-like floral note.

How do I make bunga kantan syrup for cocktails?

Steep one or two finely sliced flowers in warm 1:1 simple syrup for 30 to 60 minutes, then strain. The syrup picks up the soft pink colour and the distinctive perfume. Use 10 to 15ml in a spritz, gin sour, or Bandung variant. Slice the buds just before infusing; cut bunga kantan oxidises and loses aroma within an hour.

What spirits pair best with bunga kantan?

White spirits work; brown spirits do not. Gin (London Dry especially) is the natural pairing. Vodka, white rum, and tequila also work. The bud is too delicate for bourbon, aged rum, Campari, or coffee. Calamansi is the best citrus partner; lime works well; lemon is a step back. Coconut water adds a Southeast Asian roundness.

Can I substitute another flower for bunga kantan?

Not really. Nothing in the Western pantry produces the same tropical-ginger-floral combination. The closest substitute is a mix of finely grated ginger plus a few drops of rose water plus a smaller pinch of lemongrass, but you lose the colour and the specific perfume. If you cannot source bunga kantan, build a different drink rather than fake it.

Where can I try a bunga kantan cocktail in PJ?

Soluble Solids (50-1 Jalan SS2/24, WhatsApp +60 11-1682 8651) keeps bunga kantan syrup and infusion behind the bar when fresh flowers are available. Dissolved Solids (43-1 Jalan SS20/11, Damansara Kim, WhatsApp +60 11-4008 7607) can build it on request. Bunga kantan is in season most of the year at TTDI and Section 17 wet markets.