Indian Spices > Cardamom

Name - Cardamom

Genus Species - Elettaria cardamomum

Family - Zingiberaceae
Origin - Near East and Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
Cultivated - India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Cambodia, Guatemala, El Salvador

Description - Several varieties of seed plants are known as cardamon, but the best known is an export from India, where it is obtained from a ginger-like plant, Elettaria cardamomum. It is related to black cardamom, and to melegueta (also known as grains of paradise), a peppery cardamon-like seed which grows mainly in West Africa; this was a popular European import in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Cardamom is particularly popular in Arab countries for flavoring coffee, and perhaps half the world’s production is thus used. Cardamom and related spices were used by the Romans, and it remains popular in baked products in Scandinavian and Baltic countries. The seeds are widely used in cooking and in chewing products (similar to chewing gum) in India and Pakistan, and in Persian cuisine, but it is not widely appreciated in North America as a cooking spice or as a flavor in candies or beverages. Its exotic qualities have suggested it could be used as a stimulant and aphrodisiac, and long ago it was used as a perfume and breath freshener. See a list of spices by Taste and Hotness.

Useful Parts - The aromatic extract contains many essential oil chemicals, some of which have a smell like that of camphor. Thus, its main use is as an adjunctive spice in curries, coffees and other Asian or Middle Eastern foods. It used to be second in expense to saffron, and is known in India as Queen of Spices. However, declining markets and increased production in Guatemala have led to a fall in its value.

Medicinal Properties - Medically, it is used mainly as a flavor and an aid to digestion. It is used more prosaically to treat colds, bronchitis, fevers, inflammatory conditions of the oropharynx, and liver complaints. There is no evidence to support any of these uses.

Historical View - The effects of cardamoms are those of a very agreeable aromatic; they are used partly on account of their flavour, and partly for their carminative and stimulant properties. They are, however, rarely prescribed alone, but commonly either as adjuvants or correctives of cordial, tonic and purgative medicines.