Chinese cardamom
Alpinia globosa

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

An erect ginger family herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 1.3 m tall. The leaves are oblong and 60 cm long by 12 cm wide. There are fine teeth along the edge. It tapers at the tip. The flower spike is at the top of the plant. Each bract has 4 flowers. The flowers are 3 cm wide and white with red. The fruit is a round capsule. It is 1-3 cm across. There are 5-7 seeds which have 3 angles.

There are about 200-230 Alpinia species. They are mostly tropical and subtropical.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. In southern China it grows in forests between 100-300 m above sea level. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Cambodia, China, Himalayas, Indochina, Korea, Laos, SE Asia, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The seeds are used to spice food. They have a pine like flavour.

It is a cultivated food plant.

Edible parts

Seeds, spice

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Brittle-fruited Mountain Ginger, Chinese brown cardamom, Cuiguo Shanjiang, Globosa Galangal, Mef, Sej, Tref

Synonyms

Amomum globosum Lour.; Cardamomum globosum (Lour.) Kuntze; Languas globosa (Lour.) Burkill; Zingiber globosum (Lour.) Stokes;