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(Recorded in the Upper Grade of *Mingyi Bielu*)
[Flavor and Property] Pungent, warm, astringent; non-toxic.
[Indications] Primarily treats cold in the middle jiao (middle burner), epigastric and abdominal pain, vomiting, and eliminates bad breath.
[Analysis] It is stated that: Cardamom grows in the South Sea and Jiaozhi, and currently also in Lingnan and Bamin regions; its growth details have been explained previously. People in the south harvest the flowers as fruit, particularly valuing the tender ones. The flower spikes are pickled with salt, layered into clusters that do not scatter. They are further soaked with Hibiscus mutabilis flower (Mu Jin Hua) to turn them red. In Guangdong, people soak them in plum salt juice to turn them red, dry them in the sun, and serve them with wine, named "Red Salt Grass Fruit" (Hong Yan Cao Guo). Those just formed and small are called "Parrot's Tongue" (Ying Ge She). During the Yuan Dynasty, dietary preparations all used Grass Fruit (Cao Guo) as tribute; people in the south use Pyracantha fortuneana (Huo Yang Mei) to counterfeit cardamom. This fake cardamom is round and coarse, with a pungent and fierce aroma; it is actually Alpinia japonica (Shan Jiang), and must be distinguished when used in medicine. For processing, the stem end must be removed, taking only the inner seeds and peel. Use Evodia rutaecarpa (Zhu Yu), stir-frying slowly together with cardamom until the Evodia turns slightly yellow-black, then remove the Evodia, using only the cardamom peel and seeds.
[Commentary] It is stated that: Among grass fruits, there are three types named cardamom, differing in shape, color, and function. They all enter the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian, Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian, and Hand-Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian.
The first type resembles a banana plant, leaves resemble Kaempferia galanga (Du Ruo), growing 8-9 chi high, evergreen in winter and summer, blooming pale yellow, bearing fruit in clusters like grapes. Initially light green, turning white when ripe, seeds round like Ipomoea nil (Bai Qian Niu), kernels resembling Amomum villosum (Suo Sha Ren). With a strongly pungent and warm flavor, it replenishes the generating yang qi in the kidney, stimulates lung qi respiration, disseminates the flavors of the five grains, and governs intake and excretion; this is White Cardamom (Bai Dou Kou).
The second type sprouts in early spring, forms stems in summer, blooms and bears fruit similar to cardamom. The fruit is round and slightly long, wrinkled on the surface, with flesh patterned like Areca catechu (Bing Lang), having no kernel but only flesh, with a pungent and warm flavor. Possessing vigorous properties, it warms the middle and transforms food, disseminates the flavors of the five grains and five livestock, providing nourishment and sufficiency; this is Nutmeg (Rou Dou Kou).
The third type has seedlings resembling Phragmites communis (Di Lu), leaves resembling Du Ruo, roots resembling Galangal (Gao Liang Jiang). It blooms in February forming spikes, with locules hanging under the stem. Tender leaves curl, initially resembling Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Fu Rong), slightly red; the spike head is dark, but as leaves open and flowers emerge, the color fades. There are also yellow and white varieties. The fruit resembles Longan but is sharper, skin yellow-white, surface without scales, shell thin with ridges, kernels resembling Suo Sha Ren but slightly larger. With a pungent, astringent, and warm flavor, it disseminates and secures middle qi, warms the middle, benefits the upper jiao, receives and stores water and grain, treats epigastric/abdominal pain and vomiting, eliminates odors, and disseminates flavors of the five grains, five fruits, and five vegetables, providing nourishment, assistance, and benefit; this is Cardamom (Dou Kou, specifically referring to Grass Cardamom/Cao Dou Kou). Known as Cao Dou Kou in Kaibao period, Lou Kou in *Caowu Zhi*, Suqimiluoxi in *Jin Guang Ming Jing*, and Cao Guo in Zheng Qiao's *Tongzhi*. Although not a true fruit, it is used for tea and snacks, hence the name Cao Guo.
(Cardamom assists the middle and benefits the upper, with dissemination as its substance and retention as its function. The fruit hanging below the stem implies tightness/convergence. Although it shares the retreat/storage nature with Amomum villosum, their substance and function are distinct. Amomum villosum uses retention as substance and dissemination as function, following the ascending/descending of seasonal timing, thus its use is free. Cardamom mimics the gathering of descending/suppressing forces, which is ultimately forced; long-term full-course consumption may hastily deplete generating yang qi, being excessive in function but deficient in substance. Therefore, one must consider comprehensively, covering upper and lower. Users who carefully distinguish can clearly differentiate the powers of the four types, and even compare and categorize items like five grains, malt sugar, Shen Qu, and Hawthorn, preventing chaotic misuse.)