Wild siamese cardamom
Amomum villosum var. xanthioides

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A herb in the ginger family. It keeps growing from year to year. It has rhizomes or underground stems. There are also reed like stems that can be 2-2.5 m tall. The leaves are in two rows and are sword shaped and 20-35 cm long. The flowers are white with purple spots. They are in rounded heads near the base of the plant. The fruit is an oval capsule with 3 valves.

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

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in forests between 600-800 m above sea level in southern China. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

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

How it is used for food

The seeds are used for flavouring. They are used to flavour liqueurs and as a substitute for cardamom. The leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The rhizomes are slightly boiled and eaten.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Spice, seeds, leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are grown by division.

Its other names

Local names

Kar-wahn, Malabar cardamom, Maliangkuoyou, Sa nhan xanh, Tavoy cardamom

Synonyms

Amomum villosum var. nanum H. T. Tsai & S. W. Zhao; Amomum xanthioides Wallich ex Baker;