Vietnam is a strong country in terms of spices. Currently, Vietnam has 500,000 hectares of spice trees, with about 400 businesses and hundreds of thousands of farmers participating in the production and export of this product.
Cardamom is the third-most expensive spice in the world, behind saffron and vanilla. There was a time when the price went up to 9 USD per 100 grams. This herb grows wild in nature and is also cultivated in many countries, such as Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, or South America.
In Vietnam, cardamom grows in high mountains with cool climates, such as Lao Cai and Cao Bang. This plant is about 2–3 m tall and lives for a long time. Its roots are on the ground, and the leaves grow in two rows. The flowers are white and grow in clusters.
Vietnam has earned more than 12 million USD in the first half of 2024 from cardamom, the third-most expensive spice in the world.
According to preliminary statistics from the General Department of Customs, the export value of cardamom and nutmeg in the first half of 2024 was 12.6 million USD, with an output of 1,554 tons. Compared to the same period last year, export volume decreased by 4.3% and turnover decreased by 2.9%.
In 2023, the export output of this commodity group reached 3,551 tons, earning 27.4 million USD, up 36.5% in output but down 15.4% in turnover. The Netherlands, China, and the US are the three-largest export markets, with outputs of 923 tons, 756 tons, and 484 tons, respectively.
The flowers and seeds of cardamom are used for medicinal purposes. In particular, the seeds are harvested from trees that are at least 3 years old or older at the stage of turning from green to yellow. The appropriate time for harvest is in the autumn. After picking seeds, people dry them in the shade and store them in a dry and cool place.
Nutmeg has the scientific name Myristica fragrans Hourt and belongs to the nutmeg family, Myristicaceae. Its tree is woody, with a height of up to 8–10 m. The branches are thin, and the whole trunk is smooth. The leaves are green all year round.
These two medicinal herbs, besides being exported, also have many health uses, such as enhancing intestinal motility, increasing gastric secretion, preventing abnormal intestinal fermentation, and nausea. In addition, it helps fight fungus, reduce fever, relax smooth muscles, and lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure.
Although Vietnam ranks first in the world in many categories, its spice plants have been exploited to only about 40–50% of their potential. The room for development in Vietnam’s spice industry is still very large. It is expected that Vietnam’s total export turnover of spices by 2025 may reach about 2 billion USD, with an export volume of about 500,000 tons.