Black Cardomon / Amomum Fruit seeds  (Fructus Amomi) or (Amomum subulatum)

50 seeds $4.00

Black cardamom (also known as brown cardamom, elaichi, thảo quả and tsao-ko) is a plant in the family Zingiberaceae. Its seed pods have a strong, smoky, camphor-like flavor.

The pods are used as a spice, in a manner similar to the green Indian cardamom pods, but those have a drastically different flavor. Unlike green cardamom, this spice is rarely used in sweet dishes. Its smoky flavor and aroma derive from traditional methods of drying over open flames.

Black cardamom pods can be used in soups, chowders, casseroles, and marinades for smoky flavor, much in the way bacon is used.

Properties: Traditional Chinese Medicine. Pungent in flavour, warm in nature, it acts on the spleen, stomach and kidney channels. The fragrance can dispel dampness and the pungent flavour is dispersing and can promote the Qi flow. It acts chiefly on spleen and stomach channels, hence is one of the important drugs for dispelling dampness, enlivening the spleen, promoting Qi flow and normalizing the functions of spleen and stomach. It is often indicated for the syndromes of dampness retention in the middle-jiao, abdomenae, distention, vomiting, stagnation of spleen-and stomach-qi. In addition, it also has miscarriage preventing action by promoting circulation of Qi.

Effects: Dispelling dampness, promoting circulation of Qi to prevent abortion.

Indications:
1. For dampness retention in the middle-jiao, marked as poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, oppressive chest, greasy tongue coating, it is often used in combination with the dampness-removing and appetizing drugs, such as atracty-lodes rhizome, magnolia bark, tangerine peel, etc. In cases of Qi stagnation in spleen and stomach, abdominal distension, it is used with the drugs for promoting Qi circulation and normalizing the functions of spleen and stomach, such as tangerine peel, aucklandia root.

2. For gravidie pernicious vomiting and threatened abortion, it is used in combination with perilla stem, bighead (white) atractylodes rhizome and cyperus tuber, i.e. the drugs for enlivening the spleen, promoting Qi circulation and preventing abortion.

Besides, it can also be used to treat diarrhea caused by cold-dampness.