Cardamom-Queen of spices

Cardamom

Cardamom dried seeds

Biological source :- Cardamom is a spice made from dried ripe fruits seeds of several plants in the genera Elettaria cardamom Mantonvar : minusculla Burkill in the family Zingiberaceae. Volatile oil 4% to 5%.

Geographical source:- Species used for cardamom are native throughout tropical and subtropical Asia. , it is also cultivated in some other countries, such as Guatemala, Malaysia and Tanzania.

In India, it is chiefly cultivated in Kerala, Karnataka states more specifically in Mysore, Kurg and Malabar hills.

Cardamom is the world's third-most expensive spice, surpassed in price per weight only by vanilla and saffron.

Characterstics :-

Cardamom seeds

Colour:- Pods are light green and smaller, if treated with SO₂ , colour changes to white. Seeds can be of black to dark brown colour.

Odour:- Aromatic, pleasant

Taste:- Aromatic

Size:- Seed pod that is capsule are about 2 to 3 cms in length

Shape:- Ovoid or oblong, plump, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, sharply beaked at the top with smooth or longitudinally striated surface.

Other varieties are:- 

1)    Long wild native cardamom :- Long cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum var.). Seeds of these variety are less aromatic, bitter in taste. The oil of seed has different composition

2)    Korarima cardamom:- They are red brown in color. Seeds do not show presence of rugae, which is a characteristic of genuine drug.

Active chemical constituent:-

Cardamom seeds contain volatile oil to the extent of 02 to 08 percent. The active constituent are  α-terpineol 45%, myrcene 27%, limonene 8%, menthone 6%, β-phellandrene 3%, 1,8-cineol (Eucalyptol) 2%, sabinene 2% and heptane 2%. Other sources report 1,8-cineol (20 to 50%), α-terpenylacetate (30%), sabinene, limonene (2 to 14%), and borneol.

Besides above chemical constituents it contains fixed oil, starch, proteins and about 8.0% of silica.

Uses:-

Food and beverage:-

Cold cardamom coffee

Cardamom tea

Cardamom has a strong, unique taste, with an intensely aromatic, resinous fragrance. It is a common ingredient in Indian cooking. Most of the countries use cardamom while making breads or buns. Not to forget it is widely used as a flavoring agents in beverages including Coffee, tea, and thirst busters.

Indian cuisine having cardamom

In Asia, both types of cardamom are widely used in both sweet and savory dishes, particularly in the south. Both are frequent components in spice mixes, such as Indian and Nepali masalas and Thai curry pastes. Green cardamom is often used in traditional Indian sweets and in masala chai (spiced tea). Both are also often used as a garnish in basmati rice and other dishes. Individual seeds are sometimes chewed  as mouth fresheners and used in much the same way as chewing gum.

Pharmaceutical use:-

Mouth freshener

In pharmaceutical industry, cardamom is used as flavoring agent in liquid syrup, chewables etc. As a pharmaceutical use it is used as carminative and stimulant and gastro – intestinal regulator.

Storage:-

Cardamom seeds should be stored in well closed containers in cool places. It has been observed that if seeds are stored after the husking 30 to 40 % of volatile oil is lost within 18 months of storage.