Cao Guo (Amomum tsaoko) — Dried Tsaoko Fruit & Powder, Aromatic Culinary Spice

Cao Guo (Amomum tsaoko), also known as Tsaoko Fruit or Tsao-ko, is the dried ripe fruit of a revered aromatic herb in the ginger family, known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as Cǎo Guǒ (草果). For centuries it has been prized as a warming, aromatic spice-herb used to awaken the Spleen, transform dampness, and warm the Middle Burner, while lending its distinctive smoky-citrus fragrance to slow-cooked broths and braises. Its nature is pungent and warm, making it a robust yet food-friendly herb equally at home in the kitchen and in traditional decoctions.

Key Selling Points

• Traditional aromatic food-herb (药食同源)
• Dried whole fruit and ground powder forms
• Amomum tsaoko, ginger family botanical
• Warming, damp-transforming TCM character
• Signature smoky-citrus culinary aroma

Quality & Sensory

Each batch is carefully dried to preserve the fruit's deep reddish-brown to grey-brown color, its wrinkled, slightly ridged surface, and its dense, oily interior. Whole fruits release a warm, smoky, camphor-like aroma with citrus and eucalyptus notes when crushed. The ground powder carries the same pungent, resinous fragrance and, when simmered, yields a deep, savory warmth that perfumes broths without overwhelming them.

Technical Specifications

Usage Scenarios

• Slow-cooked broths and braised meats
• Hot pot and stew spice blends
• Marinades and dry rubs
• Traditional aromatic decoctions
• Culinary spice-powder blends

Traditional Uses

In folk herbal practice, Cao Guo is simmered into rich meat broths, braises, and medicinal food soups to warm the digestive center and cut through heaviness and dampness. It is a classic companion to star anise, cinnamon bark, and fennel in slow-cooked stews, and is often added whole to hot pot bases and long-simmered congee. As a warming kitchen herb, it is also brewed in small amounts with ginger and tangerine peel for a fragrant, gently warming daily infusion.

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