Cardamom is the third most expensive spice in the world as each fruit must be hand-picked. Known as the “Queen of Spices,” cardamom is a favorite in Indian both for its culinary and medicinal value. The word “cardamom” is derived from the Latin cardamomum, which is the Latinisation of the Greek καρδάμωμον (kardamomon), a compound of κάρδαμον (kardamon), “cress” + ἄμωμον (amomon), which was probably the name for a kind of Indian spice plant. It is a robust, perennial herb growing to 4 m high with branched subterranean rhizomes from which arises 10–12 erect leafy shoots (consist of leafy sheaths) and flowering shoots. The sweetly aromatic cardamom is the fruit of a tropical plant related to ginger, and is one of the world’s most expensive spices, after saffron and vanilla. Growing cardamom is extremely labor intensive.
| Name | Cardamom |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Elettaria cardamomum |
| Native | India and Sri Lanka originating in the forests of the western Ghats in southern India. |
| Common/English Name | Cardamon, Cluster Cardamom, Lesser Cardamom, Malabar Cardamom, Round Cardamom, Siam Cardamom, Ceylon Cardamom, Cardamon Seeds |
| Name in Other Languages | Arabic : Hhabb El Hâl, Habbu Al Hal, Hhamâmâ, Hhabbahân, Habbu Al Han, Hel Bava, Qâqullah Saghîrah, Qaqilah; Armenian : Shooshmir, Shushmir; Bosnian : Grbat, Kardamomi, Srdiš; Brazil : Cardamão, Cardamomo ( Portuguese ); Burmese : Bala, Pala, Panlat, Hpa-La; phalazee Chinese: Ts’ao-k’ou Croatian : Grbat, Kardamomi, Srdiš, Vrtni Prpr; Czech : Kardamom Pravý; Danish : Ceylon-Kardemomme, HvidKardemomme, Kardemomme, Malabarkardemomme; Dutch : Echte Kardamom, Kardemom, Paradijszaadsoort of Var; Eastonian : Harilik Kardemon; Finnish : Kardemumma; French : Cardamomier, cardamone, elaiti, Cardamome, Cardamome Blanche, Cardamome De Ceylan, Cardamome Du Malabar, Cardamome Verte, Cardamomier, Petite Cardamome German : Cardamomen, Cardamomp fl anze, Grüner Kardamom, Kardamom, Kleine Kardamomen, Malabarkardamom; Greek : Kardamo; Hebrew : Hel Hungarian : Kardamom, Kardamomum, Kis Kardamom, Malabári Kardamom; India : Chhoti Elachi
Indonesia : Kapol, Kapolaga ( Sudanese ), Kapulaga Sabrang; |
| Plant Growth Habit | Robust, herbaceous, perennial herb |
| Growing Climate | It does not tolerate direct sun. It thrives best in areas with uniform warm temperature. |
| Soil | Prefers a rich, loamy, well drained, slightly acidic soil rich in organic matters. For best results, fertilize or amend soil with minerals phosphorus and potassium. |
| Plant Size | 4 m Tall |
| Leaf | Long, dark green leaves 30-60 cm (1-2 ft) long, 5-15 cm (2-6”) wide distichous, petioles up to 2.5 cm long; lamina up to 1 cm × 15 cm, lanceolate, acuminate, lightly pubescent or glabrous below; ligule to 1 cm long, entire. The underside is paler and may have a covering of tiny hairs. |
| Flower | Borne on a flowering stalk that can reach over 1 m in length. The pale green flowers contain both male and female parts. One of the petals is white and streaked with violet. |
| Fruit Shape & Size | Oblong, oval or oblate, 2–5 cm long, with faint longitudinal striations, roughly triangular in cross section. Each fruit has 3 chambers filled with small aromatic seeds, each about 3 mm long. Fruits and seeds dry to a straw-brown color. |
| Fruit Color | Pale green to yellow |
| Flavor/Aroma | Intensely aromatic, resinous fragrance. |
| Taste | Strong, unique spicy-sweet taste |
| Seed | Small, 3 mm long, rugose, reddish brown to brownish black, aromatic, with thin mucilaginous aril |
| Varieties/Types |
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| Major Nutrition | Manganese, Mn 28 mg (1217.39%) Iron, Fe 13.97 mg (174.63%) Total dietary Fiber 28 g (73.68%) Zinc, Zn 7.47 mg (67.91%) Magnesium, Mg 229 mg (54.52%) Carbohydrate 68.47 g (52.67%) Copper, Cu 0.383 mg (42.56%) Calcium, Ca 383 mg (38.30%) Phosphorus, P 178 mg (25.43%) Potassium, K 1119 mg (23.81%) Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 21 mg (23.33%) Protein 10.76 g (21.52%) Total Fat (lipid) 6.7 g (19.14%) Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 0.23 mg (17.69%) Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) 0.198 mg (16.50%) Selenium, Se 8.2 µg (14.91%) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.182 mg (14.00%) |
| Health Benefits |
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| Calories in (100 gm) | 311 K cal |