Cao Guo Tincture & Alcohol-Free Extract

Cao Guo (Amomum tsaoko, transferred by Kew in 2018 to Lanxangia tsaoko), the Chinese black cardamom, is a tall perennial of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, native to the mountain forests of Yunnan and Guangxi in China and northern Vietnam, where it is grown under forest shade. Leafy stems reach 2 to 3 meters, while the flower spikes and fruit clusters sit at the base. The fruit is an oval, ridged capsule 2 to 4 centimeters long that ripens red and dries to a hard, brown, grooved pod full of clumped seeds with a smoky, camphor-like scent; it seasons Sichuan braises and pho broth. We extract the dried fruit.