Zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria, known as kacōramu in Telugu) is the name for a perennial herb and member of the genus Curcuma Linn, family Zingiberaceae.. This plant originates from Indonesia. It was introduced to Europe by the Arabs around the sixth century, but its use as a spice in the West today is very rare, having been replaced by ginger.
Zedoary is a rhizome that grows in tropical and subtropical wet forests. The fragrant plant bears yellow flowers with red and green bracts and a large, tuberous underground stem with many branches. The zedoary root has a white interior and is reminiscent of the aroma of a mango, but its taste is more similar to ginger, except with a very bitter aftertaste. Zedoary is also used in some traditional eastern medicines where it is renowned as an aid to digestion, a relief for colic and an agent for purifying the blood. The essential oil produced from the dried roots of Curcuma zedoaria is used in making perfume and soap, as well as as an ingredient in bitter tonics.
