bai dou kou

白豆蔻·Fructus Amomi Rotundus

Round Cardamon

About bai dou kou

Bai Dou Kou (白豆蔻) is the fruit of round cardamom, a member of the ginger family, recorded as Fructus Amomi Rotundus. It is acrid and aromatic in flavour, warm in temperature, and enters the Lung, Spleen and Stomach channels. The catalogue files it among the aromatic herbs that transform Damp.

Names

Pinyinbai dou kou
Chinese白豆蔻·百豆蔻
Latin NameFructus Amomi Rotundus
English NameRound Cardamon
Japanesebyakuzuku
Koreanbaekdugu

Classification

Channels
Lung, Stomach, Spleen
Flavour
Acrid, Aromatic
Temperature
Warm
Family
Zingiberaceae
Species
Amomum Krevanh
Tags
Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Moves Qi, aromatically transforms Damp and strengthens the Stomach

  • Damp blocking the Middle Jiao, or Damp-Warmth, with a stuffy, oppressed chest, fullness below the heart, little appetite, a heavy sticky feeling and a thick greasy tongue coat

Warms the Middle Jiao and the Spleen, directs Qi downward and stops vomiting

  • Vomiting from Cold in the Spleen and Stomach, whether Deficiency Cold, Cold-Damp or food stagnation
  • Cold-Damp in the Stomach causing nausea and vomiting; classically counted among the best herbs when vomiting has a Cold cause
  • Rebellious Stomach Qi with belching and vomiting

Combinations

Dosage

AgeRawGranuleTinctureConcentrateFrequency
Any 2-10g; Powder: 1.5-5g; tincture: 1-3ml2-10 g1-3 ml

Cautions