In Indonesian, cardamom is called buah pelaga or kapulaga. The variety most commonly grown here is white cardamom, also called Java cardamom, botanical name Amomum compactum — a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), the same family as turmeric and galangal. The cardamom plant is a shade-loving tropical perennial that grows in low clusters, producing round, yellowish-white pods. It’s a different species from the green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) grown mainly in India and Guatemala, though both go by “cardamom” in English. Suwarna’s white cardamom is sorted, dried, and fumigated in our own Tangerang and Surabaya warehouses before export.
