True Cardamom Elettaria cardamomum

The Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is a popular spice used in many types of cuisines. They refer to many plants of similar genera. Elettaria cardamomum is a perennial crop and Amomum belong to the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both these are native to South Asian countries, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, India and Nepal. The largest producer and exporter of cardamom is Guatemala, with India and Sri Lanka also cultivates the spice at commercial levels.

The light green pods belong to the Elettaria cardamomum variety. The larger dark brown pods are from the Amomum variety, popularly called the black cardamom. This variety is mostly grown in Southern India and used in Indian cuisine.

Pods appear from the base of the Elettaria cardamomum plant

Elettaria cardamomums are known to fall into the category of the most expensive spices in the world. Saffron ranks as number one with vanilla taking second place. Cardamoms are placed at number three.

The spice cardamom, was mentioned in the Bible as an aromatic plant, as well on spice tablets found among archives of the House of the Sphinxes. These two types of cardamoms were made famous by Theophrastus, the Greek father of botany, in the fourth century BC, who was told that the spices originated from northern Persia a land known as Medes. However, it was known by others to have originated from India. 

There is also the false cardamom or bastard cardamom obtained in Africa from Afromomum spp. and the Amomum spp. in South East Asia.

Distribution

•  Elettaria (commonly called green cardamom, cardamom, or true cardamom) is found growing in the regions of India to Malaysia.
• Amomum (commonly known as brown cardamom, black cardamom, Java cardamom, kravan, and Siamese cardamom, Bengal cardamom, and cardamom, red or white cardamom) can be found in Asian countries and Australia.

Ecology

Cardamom is a shade loving plant and prefers a jungle environment and thrives well under forest cover in shallow water- logged areas that is not stagnant.

Uses

Mainly used to flavour food and drink, it has its uses in medicine as well. Apart from these main uses the E. cardamomum (green cardamom) is also used in a masticatory form and is sometimes smoked.

Green Cardamom’s strong and extremely aromatic fragrance is unique. The aroma of the Black cardamom on the other hand is distinctly smoky. It can also be compared to a minty coolness.

The keeping quality of cardamom is best when stored in the pod form. Seeds will soon lose their flavour when ground or exposed.

Cardamom is used as flavouring in tea and coffee, as an ingredient in a spice mix and in numerous other uses including tisanes and in baking in Nordic countries.

Medicinal uses
The medicinal uses of green cardamom in the South Asian region extend from treating gum and teeth infections, lung congestion, throat infections, pulmonary tuberculosis, digestive disorders, inflammation of eyelids, and as an antidote for snake bites. It is also known to be used in breaking up of gall stones and kidney stones and treating digestive problems.

Main Constituents

Cardamom Oil Contains:

The essential oil content which can be as much as 8% is mainly dependent on how effective the storage conditions are. menthone 6%, myrcene 27%,α-terpineol 45%, limonene 8%, β-phellandrene 3%, sabinene 2% 1,8-cineol 2%, and heptane 2%. (Photochemistry, 26, 207, 1987) Other sources report 1,8-cineol (20 to 50%), limonene (2 to 14%), α-terpenylacetate (30%), sabinene, and borneol

Next Chapter: Nutmeg (Myristicafragrans Houtt.)