Little knowledge about white cardamom, cardamom and nutmeg

White cardamom, cardamom and nutmeg are all cardamoms, but they are different plants and have completely different effects. The following is an introduction to the effects of the three types of cardamom.

White cardamom is the dried mature fruit of the ginger plant white cardamom. The former is commonly known as "raw cardamom" and is mainly produced in Cambodia and Thailand; the latter is commonly known as "Indonesian white cardamom" and is mainly produced in Java, Indonesia. It is also called cardamom, and because of its purple-brown surface, it is also called purple cardamom.

Meridians : Enters the lung and spleen meridians.

① "Tangye Bencao": "Enter the Taiyin meridian of the hand."

② "Leigong Paozhi Yaoxing Jie": "It enters the lung, spleen, and stomach meridians."

③ "New Compendium of Materia Medica": "It enters the heart, liver, and spleen meridians."

Nature and flavor : spicy, warm.

① "Kaibao Materia Medica": "It tastes spicy, warm, and non-toxic."

② "Medical Origin": "It has a hot nature and a very spicy taste."

① "Compendium of Materia Medica": "When fire rises and nausea occurs, and abdominal pain is caused by heat, salt should be avoided."

② "Compendium of Materia Medica": "All wheezing, coughing and vomiting are not caused by cold but by fire; malaria is not caused by malaria but by deficiency of yin and yang; red veins and white opacity in the eyes are not caused by sudden illness and cold wind but by long-term deficiency of blood in the eyes and heat of the blood. All of these should not be violated."

③ "Compendium of Materia Medica": "It is forbidden to use in patients with excessive lung and stomach fire and qi deficiency."

④ "Ben Jing Feng Yuan": "Avoid seeing fire."

Functions and indications : It can dissipate dampness and promote the flow of qi, warm the middle and stop vomiting, stimulate appetite, help digestion and relieve fullness. It can treat qi stagnation, food stagnation, chest tightness, abdominal distension, belching, choking, vomiting, nausea and malaria.

① "Kaibao Materia Medica": "It can relieve cold accumulation, stop vomiting, nausea, and help digestion."

② "Compendium of Materia Medica": "It is used to treat cold stomach."

③ "Medical Origin": "The Secret of Main Treatments" says that Lung Gold is a medicine that disperses stagnant qi in the chest, relieves abdominal pain caused by cold, warms the spleen and stomach, and relieves sudden onset of red eyes and red sclera.

④ Yang Shiying: "It can treat spleen deficiency malaria, vomiting, cold and heat, and can eliminate and grind, and spread to the three burners."

⑤ Wang Haogu: "Replenishes lung qi, benefits spleen and stomach, regulates vital energy, and collects lost qi."

⑥ "Compendium of Materia Medica": "It can treat dysphagia, malaria, cold and heat, and detoxify alcohol."

⑦ "Compendium of Materia Medica": "It can eliminate cold, dry out dampness, digest food and relieve swelling."

Note that people with yin deficiency and dry blood but no cold or dampness should not take it.

Cardamom is the seed of the perennial herbaceous plant of the ginger family. Its pungent and warming effect is better than that of white cardamom, and it is a stronger dampness-removing medicine.

Meridians: Enters the spleen and stomach meridians.

① "Tangye Bencao": "Enters the Taiyin and Yangming meridians of the foot."

② "New Compendium of Materia Medica": "It enters the heart, spleen, and lung meridians."

Nature and flavor : spicy, warm.

① "Bie Lu": "It tastes spicy, warm, and non-toxic."

② "Qianjin·Food Therapy": "It tastes spicy, warm, astringent, and non-toxic."

③ "Medical Origin": "The qi is hot and the taste is very spicy."

It is forbidden for those with yin deficiency, blood deficiency, insufficient body fluid, and without cold and dampness to take the medicine.

① "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Malaria is not caused by miasma; heartache and stomach pain are caused by fire, not cold; damp heat stagnation, summer heat invasion, causing stagnation of red and white stools, tenesmus, diarrhea, thirst, damp heat invasion of the spleen, causing bloating, or difficulty in urination, all of which are caused by summer heat and damp heat, and should not be used."

② "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Avoid iron."

③ "Ben Jing Feng Yuan": "People with yin deficiency and blood dryness should avoid it."

Functions and indications : Warming the middle, dispelling cold, promoting qi, and drying dampness. Treating cold pain in the heart and abdomen, fullness and food stagnation, choking and nausea, vomiting and diarrhea due to cold and dampness, and accumulation of phlegm and fluid.

① "Bie Lu": "It is used to warm the middle part, relieve heart and stomach pain, vomiting, and remove bad breath."

② "Kaibao Materia Medica": "It can relieve gas and stop cholera."

③ "Zhenzhu Nang": "It benefits the spleen and stomach, removes cold, and treats heart and stomach pain caused by cold."

④ "Compendium of Materia Medica": "It can treat malaria, cold malaria, vomiting, diarrhea, dysentery caused by heatstroke, nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, phlegm and fluid accumulation, nausea and leukorrhea in women, eliminate cold and dampness, relieve depression and break qi, and kill fish and meat poison."

⑤ "Materia Medica Original": "It nourishes the spleen and stomach, eliminates stagnation, and disperses cold air. It is most suitable for those who are weak and unable to eat, and can also relieve alcohol poisoning."

Nutmeg is the mature seed kernel of the tall tree plant Myristica fragrans, also known as meat fruit. It is good at running through the large intestine meridian and is specialized in astringing the intestines and stopping diarrhea. It is suitable for chronic diarrhea, gradual decline of vital energy, or chronic diarrhea and early morning diarrhea caused by spleen and kidney deficiency and coldness. It has the dual effects of warming the middle and stopping diarrhea. It also has the function of regulating qi, and can be used for abdominal distension and pain, loss of appetite and vomiting caused by spleen and stomach deficiency and coldness and qi stagnation.

Meridians : Enter the lung and large intestine meridians.

① "Tangye Bencao": "Enter the Yangming meridian."

② "Leigong Paozhi Yaoxing Jie": "It enters the lung and stomach meridians."

③ "Ben Cao Jing Shu": "It enters the Taiyin and Yangming meridians of the foot; the Yangming meridian of the hand and the large intestine."

Nature and flavor : spicy, warm.

① "Medicinal Properties": "Tastes bitter and pungent."

② "Sea Drugs Materia Medica": "It tastes spicy, warm, and non-toxic."

③ "Compendium of Materia Medica": "It tastes bitter, astringent and warm in nature."

Functions and indications : warms the middle and astringes the intestines; promotes the flow of qi and helps digestion. It is used for diarrhea due to deficiency; cold dysentery; abdominal distension and pain; loss of appetite and vomiting; and indigestion.

① "Medicinal Properties": "It can cure vomiting, inability to breastfeed, abdominal pain in children; indigestion, phlegm and fluid."

② "Haiyao Bencao": "It is used to treat heart and stomach worm pain, spleen and stomach deficiency and cold qi, cold and hot diarrhea, red and white dysentery, etc. For dysentery, it is better to drink white porridge; for cholera and qi, it is better to drink ginger soup."

③ "Rihuazi Bencao": "Regulate the middle, reduce qi, stop diarrhea, stimulate appetite, and help digestion. It can regulate the external collaterals of the skin, reduce qi, detoxify alcohol, and treat cholera."

④ "Kaibao Materia Medica": "Warms the middle, treats heart and abdomen pain caused by cold accumulation, nausea, vomiting, cold air, helps digestion and stops diarrhea, and treats milk cholera in children."

⑤ "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Warms the spleen and stomach, consolidates the large intestine."

⑥ "Reading of Materia Medica": "Treats cold semen."

⑦ "Ben Cao Qiu Yuan": "It is used to treat kidney leakage, upper fullness and lower emptiness, various adverse reactions, and headaches caused by the upward movement of Yuan Yang."

**Summary:** Although white cardamom, cardamom and nutmeg are fruits or seeds of different species of medicinal ginger plants, they all have a pungent and warm smell, enter the spleen and stomach meridians, and have the effects of removing dampness, dispersing cold and stopping vomiting. Therefore, they can be used clinically to treat cold and dampness blocking the middle jiao, chest tightness, abdominal distension and pain, nausea and vomiting, uncomfortable bowel movements, and a light and sticky mouth.

White cardamom has a clear fragrance and is good at treating all symptoms of cold and dampness in the middle and upper parts of the body. Grass cardamom is pungent, warm, fragrant and dry, and has a strong ability to dry dampness and dissipate cold. It is good at drying dampness and strengthening the spleen, and is suitable for symptoms of cold and dampness stagnation in the middle part of the body. Nutmeg has a strong fragrance and a pungent taste. It is good at traveling to the large intestine meridian and is specialized in astringing the intestines and stopping diarrhea. It has the dual effects of warming the middle and stopping diarrhea. It also has the function of regulating qi, and is used for symptoms of abdominal distension and pain, loss of appetite and vomiting caused by spleen and stomach deficiency, cold and qi stagnation.

In dietary cooking

Cardamom can remove bones and is essential in the processing of meat. Cardamom takes a long time to release its fragrance, so it can be added to the pot before other spices, after the main ingredients are heated. Nutmeg can remove odors and increase aroma. Add 1 or 2 pieces to various red meats, stew or boil them, to stimulate the fresh and fragrant aroma. White cardamom has a very outstanding effect in removing fishy smells, and can be used in the cooking of meats with strong fishy smells, such as beef, lamb, and duck. The three kinds of cardamom can be matched with other condiments in the boiling, stewing, braising, and braising of meat, which will surely amaze the audience.