Common Name: Round Cardamom

General Information

Round cardamon is an aromatic, robust, perennial plant producing leafy stems up to 2 metres tall from a spreading, copiously branched rhizome that is around 1 - 2cm in diameter[].
The plant is cultivated in Indonesia as a spice very similar to the true cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)[, ]. It is a popular spice in Asia though it is little known elsewhere.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Southeast Asia - Indonesia (Sumatra, Java)

Habitat

Growns in primary and teak forests[]..

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated

Cultivation Details

Round cardamom is a plant of the moist tropics. It grows best in areas where the mean annual temperature is in the range 23 - 28°c, tolerating daily temperatures from 10 - 35°c. It requires a constant high relative humidity, with a mean annual rainfall of 2,500 - 4,000mm, and at least 136 rainy days[].It can be found at elevations from 200 - 1,000 metres, though the greatest yields are obtained at 300 - 500 metres[].
Requires a position in partial shade. Grows best in a fertile, moist, humus-rich soil that is well-drained. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6.8[].
During the first years of growth, flowers produce hardly any fruit[].
New inflorescences develop continuously from the 3rd or 4th year and produce fruits that mature 6 - 8 weeks after flowering. Rainfall (or irrigation) promotes flowering, while fruit-set is increased by the presence of pollinating insects[].
When mature, the fruit feels firm, the corolla has been shed, and the skin is wrinkled and reddish-purple. Harvesting is carried out by cutting the entire fruit cluster and then removing the individual fruits[].
From the 4th year onwards the fruit can be harvested every 35 - 45 days. In Java, for example, four small harvests are possible between January and July (rainy season) and 3 larger ones between August and December (dry season)[].
Yields are quite low in the first few years. Dry fruit yield can reach 275 kilos per hectare during the second year, gradually rising to 475 kilos in subsequent years[].

Edible Uses

The pungent young shoots can be eaten raw, roasted or cooked and served as a side dish with rice[, ].

The fruits have a sweet, turpentine aroma and flavour[]. They are used as a spice[].

The seeds have a peppery, ginger-like flavour and serve as a warm aromatic spice to sweeten the breath and to appetize food[]. They can be used as a substitute for the true cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), and are sometimes considered as having a more appreciated taste[]. The seeds are used in cakes[].

Medicinal

The seeds are stomachic and tonic. They are used as a remedy against colds and coughs, and as a tonic after childbirth[]. The seeds are chewed to sweeten the breath[, ].

A decoction of the whole plant is drunk as a tonic and to alleviate rheumatic pain[]. The plant is used to treat coughs and colds[].

The dried crushed rhizomes are taken to reduce fever and to combat intestinal pains[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant grows well in shade and can be planted under tree crops such as coconut or sugar palm[].

Other Uses

Steam distillation of the seed yields an essential oil that is used in the perfume and flavour industry[]. The seeds yield 2 - 4% essential oil, composed primarily of 1,8-cineole (up to 70%), 'BETA'-pinene (16%), 'ALFA'-pinene (4%), 'ALFA'-terpineol (5%) and humulene (3%)[].
Fresh rhizomes and roots have an essential-oil content of about 0.1% which also contains 1,8-cineole.

Propagation

Seed -
Rhizome cuttings or offsets of the plant clump[]. The rhizome cutting or offset (with rhizome part and adventitious roots) should bear 1 - 2 shoot buds or young plantlets 10 - 15cm tall, each with 4-8 leaves. Under dry weather conditions some of the lower leaves are removed to prevent rapid dehydration. Planting holes 50 cm deep and wide are first prepared, the soil is loosened and organic matter is incorporated. One or two cuttings are planted per hole, being placed about 10 cm deep.

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