Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum)

OriginThe queen of spices

In the Indian spice trade, pepper is called the king and cardamom the queen - and the queen is more expensive.

Elettaria cardamomum Cardamom is a perennial herb from the evergreen mountain forests of the Western Ghats in South India. It grows to a height of two to three meters, sprouts from a robust rhizome, and produces its flowers—and thus its fruit—not in the crown, but on prostrate shoots directly on the ground. There, the three-sided, light green capsules grow, each containing fifteen to twenty small black seeds. The mountain region from which it originates is named after it: the Cardamom Hills in Kerala.

The price is due to the harvest. The pods ripen unevenly over several months and must be picked just before they are fully ripe – too early they are empty, too late they burst open and the seeds fall out. Therefore, the same planting is visited six to eight times during the season, and the ripe pods are picked individually by hand each time. This labor cannot be mechanized, which is why cardamom has always been among the three most expensive spices in the world.

Trade history has taken a turn that has surprised many: Today, the largest producer is not India, but Guatemala. German coffee planters brought cardamom to Central America at the beginning of the 20th century, where conditions are ideal, and Guatemala overtook India in the 1980s. The vast majority of the Guatemalan harvest goes to the Middle East, where cardamom is indispensable in coffee – the Arabica coffee is a key ingredient. Qahwa It is traditionally brewed with crushed capsules, and in Saudi Arabia the amount of cardamom in the coffee is considered a sign of hospitality.

To useA carminative from the ginger family

Commission E has issued a positive monograph for cardamom fruit, specifying its use for dyspeptic complaints – bloating, flatulence, and sluggish digestion. This is the classic carminative indication that cardamom shares with caraway, fennel, anise, and its relative ginger. An EMA monograph does not yet exist; the European assessment is based on the older German guidelines and long-standing experience in its use.

The principle of action is that of digestive spices containing essential oils: The components of the essential oil relax the smooth muscles in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulate bile production, and, in laboratory tests, inhibit some gas-producing bacteria. In addition, the aromatic spiciness stimulates the secretion of saliva and gastric juices. All of this is plausible and has been tested over centuries, but there are no controlled studies on humans regarding cardamom as a single medicinal ingredient.

A second, very old use is for breath. Cardamom is chewed in India and the Middle East after meals to freshen breath, and there is indeed laboratory evidence of an effect on oral bacteria—the cineole in the essential oil has antibacterial properties. Whether this has a relevant effect on bad breath beyond simply masking it has not been investigated. Nevertheless, it is a remarkably effective alternative to chewing gum.

The claims you often read about cardamom – its ability to lower blood pressure, affect blood sugar levels, and prevent cancer – stem from cell and animal studies as well as a few very small trials and do not constitute a recommendation. Cardamom is primarily an outstanding spice with a solid, but modest, use for digestive issues. That's perfectly sufficient.

IngredientsWhy cardamom must stay in the capsule

The aroma of cardamom arises from the interplay of two main components: 1,8-cineole provides the cool, eucalyptus-like note, while α-terpinyl acetate lends it a floral-sweet, slightly lemony character. The ratio of these components differentiates the origins of cardamom – Guatemalan cardamom tends to be richer in cineole and therefore cooler, while Indian cardamom from Kerala is sweeter and more floral. Anyone who tastes both side by side will immediately notice the difference.

The most important practical point concerns storage, and it is uncompromising: cardamom should be bought and stored in its pod. The pod is a natural container that protects the volatile essential oil of the seeds. Ground cardamom loses most of its aroma within a few weeks—for a spice at this price, that's an expensive waste. The seeds are only removed from the pod and crushed in a mortar shortly before use.

Besides the essential oil, the seeds contain about ten percent fatty oil, starch, and proteins, as well as small amounts of flavonoids. The capsule shell itself is fibrous and has little aroma – it is either included whole when cooking rice dishes and curries for a long time and removed before serving, or the seeds can be extracted and used separately.

A distinction must be made: Black or brown cardamom is a different plant, Amomum subulatum, with significantly larger, wrinkled brown pods. It is dried over an open fire and has a camphoraceous and smoky flavor – a robust spice for savory North Indian dishes, but no substitute for green cardamom in desserts and pastries. And another word of caution for your shelves: "White cardamom" is bleached green cardamom, which has lost aroma through the process. It looks prettier in light baked goods but is the inferior choice in terms of flavor.

Enhanced combinationsWhere cardamom belongs

Cardamom is a spice with an unusually wide range - it works in sweet as well as savory dishes, and in both areas it has established partners.

What contradicts itselfIt's best to avoid these combinations.

To which courtFrom Kerala to Stockholm

• Arabic coffeeCrushed capsules brewed together with lightly roasted coffee - bitter, aromatic, unsweetened.
• Masala ChaiCooked with ginger, cinnamon, clove and pepper in milk and black tea.
• CardamombullarThe Swedish yeast pastry - ground cardamom in the dough and filling.
• BiryaniWhole green pods cooked in the rice along with bay leaves and a cinnamon stick.
• KheerIndian rice pudding with cardamom, saffron and pistachios.
• GingerbreadCardamom is one of the quiet main components in many German gingerbread spice mixes.
• GlöggIn Scandinavian mulled wine, alongside clove, cinnamon and orange.
• Curry pasteIt is almost always included in South Indian spice mixtures such as Garam Masala.
• Digestive teaThree capsules crushed and scalded with fennel and caraway.
• Fresh breathChew one capsule after eating - the oldest and simplest method of use.

As a home remedyDigestive tea with cardamom

Ayurveda & TCMWhat the old systems say

Warning noticesWhen you should be careful

This page provides information and does not replace medical advice. If symptoms persist, please consult a doctor.

Related to the topicRead on and cook along!

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