The Science of Spice

134 Spice Profiles

Region of cultivation

Cardamom is native to southern India and

Sri Lanka, but Guatemala is now the world’s

largest producer, followed by India, Papua

New Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania.

The plant

Cardamom is a tropical

perennial in the ginger

family. Its tall shoots

develop from rhizomes

(underground stems).

Whole pods

The papery pods are

normally yellowish

green; white pods are

bleached for aesthetic

reasons, and have a

weakened aroma.

Flowers are

green with a

violet-streaked

white petal

Fruits contain

15–20 seeds

that ripen from

white to reddish-

brown or black

Sword-shaped

leaves are very

mildly aromatic.

Pods are graded

by width, with

the fattest ones

containing the

most seeds

Seeds

The seeds in good-quality cardamom pods

should be black and slightly sticky. Avoid

using seeds that are dry and pale.

BOTANICAL NAME

Elettaria cardamomum

ALSO KNOWN AS

Small cardamom, green cardamom, true

cardamom, queen of spices.

MAJOR FLAVOUR COMPOUND

Cineole.

PARTS USED

Whole “pods” (fruits) containing seeds.

METHOD OF CULTIVATION

Almost ripe seed pods are harvested by

hand five or six times a year.

COMMERCIAL PREPARATION

Seed pods are washed and then dried in

the sun or in heated “curing” rooms.

NON-CULINARY USES

Perfumery; cosmetics; in some cough

sweets; in Ayurvedic medicine to treat

depression, skin conditions, urinary

conditions, and jaundice.

CARDAMOM

Eucalyptus | Citrusy | Floral

Cardamom has been used for culinary

and medicinal purposes in India for

more than 2,000 years. The spice was

known by the ancient Greeks and

Romans, who valued its qualities as

a perfume and digestive aid. Vikings

from northern Europe are reported

to have encountered the spice during

their raids on Constantinople in the

9th century ce, and to have taken it

back to Scandinavia, where it remains

a popular flavouring for breads and

pastries. Cardamom began to be

grown as a secondary crop in the coffee

plantations of British India in the 19th

century, and in 1914 the spice was

introduced to Guatemala, which is now

the world’s largest producer. Around 60

per cent of all cardamom is consumed

in Arab countries, where it is a key

ingredient of gahwa, a fragrant coffee

served as a symbol of hospitality.

Spice story

INDIA

SRI LANKA

PAPUA NEW

GUINEA

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