The Kingdom of Siam[a] obtained the fruit (seeds) of the plant from Cambodia in the 18th century to export as a spice to China and Europe.

The taxon has previously been known as Amomum verum, named in 1757 by Elizabeth Blackwell (1707-58), a Scottish artist and business operator.

Amongst households harvesting forest plants from Nam Nao National Park, Thailand, this species represented about 6% of the income earned from the sale of herbs and spices.

[9] In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Kingdom of Siam maintained a political and economic hegemony/network in northwest Cambodia, ensuring a supply of a variety of products, including this spice species, to export to China and Europe.

[10] In the Khmer medical text The Treatment of Four Diseases palm-leaf manuscript, written in the late 19th-early 20th century, the plant is used in 3 compounds to treat hernia/constipation/sharp pains/prolapsed uterus, leprosy-ulcers, and cerebral palsy.

[6] The fruits were exported to Hong Kong, where in Chinese traditional medicine they were considered a remedy against all intestinal troubles.

[7] As of October 2020 there were two commercially available Traditional Chinese Medicine formulations containing W. vera, among many other ingredients, used in the management of viral pneumonia in China.