Malabar cardamom, Tavoy cardamom
Amomum villosum

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A ginger family herb. It grows 1.5-3 m tall. The rhizomes are above ground and covered with a scale like sheath. The leaves do not have leaf stalks. The leaves are 25-35 cm long by 3-7 cm wide. The capsule is purple, green or brown. They are 1.5-2 cm long and 1.2-2 cm wide. They have soft spines. The seeds are angled and have a strong scent. Possibly now Wurfbainia villosa (Lour.) Skornick. & A. D. Poulsen

It is used as a medicine for inflamed bowels.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. In Southern China it grows between 600-800 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Cambodia, China, India, Myanmar, Laos, SE Asia, Vietnam

How it is used for food

Leaves are sold in local markets.

Edible parts

Shoots, fruit, spice

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Mang nian, Sha ren

Synonyms

Amomum echinosphaera K. Schum.; Cardamomum villosum (Lour.) Kuntze; Elettaria villosa (Lour.) Miq.; Zingiber villosum (Lour.) Stokes;