Cambodian cardamom
Wurfbainia testacea

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A ginger family herb that has an aroma. It keeps growing from year to year. It has underground stems or rhizomes. These produce leafy shoots. It grows 2-3 m tall. The shoots can have separate flowers. The leaves are oblong and 60 cm long by 10 cm wide. The base is narrowly wedge shaped. The flowers are in an oblong spike 15 cm long by 3 cm wide. The flower stalk can be 6-15-50 cm long. It has papery bracts with grooves along them. The flowers are 2 cm long by 1.5 cm wide and white with a yellow patch near the tip. The fruit is a round capsule 1.5 cm across. It is light grey. It can be smooth or have light ribs. It is pink and slightly hairy. The seed is brown with a white covering.

There are about 150 Amomum species. They are mostly tropical.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows on limestone country in Peninsula Malaysia. It needs a well drained soil and shade. It is best grown under the shade of trees and in Thailand above 500 m altitude. It often does not set fruit at lower altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Cambodia, China, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The seed is used like cardamom for flavouring. The young shoots are eaten as a vegetable cooked with chicken as a curry.

Edible parts

Seeds, spice, leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

It is grown from young stems with a section of the rhizome.

Its other names

Local names

Bajch daaju khaasu, Ka tepus, Ke tepus, Kravanh, Krawaan, Krawan, Pla ko, Siam cardamon, White cardamon

Synonyms

Amomum krervanh Pierre ex Gagnep.;