The Science of Spice

132 Spice Profiles

Region of cultivation

Native to the damp, hilly forest areas of

the eastern Himalayas, from Nepal into

China; up to 90 per cent of black

cardamom is still grown in the state

of Sikkim in Northeast India.

Yellow-white

flowers grow

from rhizomes

at ground level

Reddish pods

contain up to

50 seeds,

surrounded by

sugary pulp

Pods are about

three times the

size of green

cardamom pods

Seeds are

held in clusters

inside the husk

Chinese black cardamom

Also known as cao guo,

these are the much

larger pods of a different

species of Amomum,

but they have a very

similar taste and can be

used interchangeably.

BOTANICAL NAME

Amomum subulatum

ALSO KNOWN AS

Winged cardamom, brown or greater

cardamom, large cardamom, black gold.

MAJOR FLAVOUR COMPOUND

Cineole.

PARTS USED

Seeds and whole fruit (“pod”).

METHOD OF CULTIVATION

Grown in forest shade; the seed pods of

three-year-old plants are handpicked from

near the base, before they fully ripen.

COMMERCIAL PREPARATION

Pods are dried for 24–72 hours over an

open fire in a curing kiln, which gives

them their dark colour and smoky taste.

NON-CULINARY USES

In perfumes and dental products; in

traditional medicine for treating sore

throats, stomach disorders, and malaria.

EAST NEPAL

SIKKIM

BHUTAN

HIMALAYAN RANGE

DARJEELING

BLACK CARDAMOM

Smoky | Camphorous| Resinous

Black cardamom has suffered from an

unwarranted reputation as an inferior

substitute for its green cousin, and

until the 20th century was mainly

used for perfumes in the West. The

spice has traditionally been cultivated

by the Lepcha community of Sikkim,

a state in Northeast India. The

Sikkimese themselves use black

cardamom for medicinal purposes

and rarely cook with it, but in China

its culinary value has been appreciated

for centuries. The spice has only been

cultivated outside Sikkim since the

1960s, when it was introduced to

Nepal and Bhutan, then later still

to Darjeeling in West Bengal. Now

both areas cultivate it for domestic

use, notably as a key constituent

of garam masala spice blends, and,

increasingly, for export to the Middle

East, Japan, and Russia.

Spice story

The plant

Growing in the damp shade of

mountain forests, this frost-tender,

herbaceous perennial has broad,

leafy, evergreen shoots

Black cardamom

Buy whole black cardamom pods (not ground

seeds) and store in an airtight container for

up to 1 year. Seeds begin to lose their flavour

when pods are broken open: use immediately.

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