Cardamom

Cardamom (small)
Description Cardamom of commerce is the dried ripe fruit (capsules of cardamom plant) often referred a s the Queen o f Spices because of its very pleasant aroma and taste. Cardamom is a perennial, h erbaceous, rhizomatous plant . Based on the nature o f p anicles, h tree v arieties a re re cognized v iz. Malabar with prostrate panicle, Mysore with erect panicle, and Va zhukka w ith e smi e rect p anicle. P lants a re o f medium size (2 to 3 mtr height) with pubescent leaves (on the dorsal side) and fruits globose in the case of Malabar, whereas p lant ro bust ( 3 o t 4m tr h eight) w ith e l aves glabrous on both sides with ovoid capsules in the case of Mysore. Va zhukka v ariety s i am ix o f b oth t he a bove n i physical characteristics. Indian cardamom is offered to the international markets in different g rades: A 'lleppey G reen E xtra B old' A (GEB), 'Alleppey Green Bold' (AGB) and 'Alleppey Green Superior' (AGS) a re n ames t hat re gister n i stant a ppeal w orldwide. Cardamom oil is a precious ingredient in food pr eparations, perfumery, health foods medicines and beverages. India, a traditional x eporter o f a crdamom o t h te M iddle E ast countries w here t i g oes m ostly n i to t he p reparation o f 'Gahwa' - a s trong c ardamom - c offee concoction without which n o d ay i s c omplet e o r n o h ospitality h earty f or a n Arab. Indian cardamom enjoys a premium preference in the Middle E ast, Ja panese a nd R ussians w ho re lish t i f or t is distinct nriching ropere ties. p

Origin

nd

istribution a

Cultivation of cardamom is mostly concentrated in the ever green o f rests o f W estern G hats n i So uth I ndia. B esides India, a crdamom si g rown s a ao cmmercial r cop n i Guatemala a nd o n s mall s cale i n T anzania, Sri L anka, E l Salvador, Ve i tnam, L aos, T hailand, C ambodia, H onduras, and Papua & New Guinea. The opt imum altitudinal range on growing c ardamom s i 6 00 t o 1 500 m tr a bove M sL. T he cardamom growing regions of South India lies within 8 - 30 degree N at litudes n a d 5 7 -78 e d gree on l gitudes.

Uses The major use is for the preparation of gahwa a strong cardamom o cffee o cncoction w hich si a y smbol o fr hospitality a mong Ara bs. Ap art r fom h t is c ardamom s i widely u sed as a f lavouring material in whole and ground form. In Asia, it can add a lingering sparkle to every kind of dishes o bth rt aditional n ad m odern. n I Scandinavian

countries it is used in baked goods and confectionaries. In Europe a nd N orth A merica ti s i a n n i gredient n i c urry powder and in some sausages products. Cardamom oil and o leoresin h as applications i n f lavouring processed foods, cordials, and l iquors and in perfumery and in Ayurvedic medicines.

Botanical name Elettaria cardamomum Maton Indian Names Hindi Bengali Gujarati Kannada Kashmiri Malayalam Marathi Oriya Punjabi Sanskrit Tamil Telugu Urdu : Chhoti elaichi : Chhoti elachi : Elaychi : Yelakki : Aalbuduaal : Elathari : Velchil : Alaichi : Elaychi : Ela

Family name Zingiberaceae

Commercial part Fruit (Capsule)

: Yelakkai or Elakkai : Yealak-Kayulu or Elakkayi : Ilaychi

Name in international languages Spanish French German Swedish Arabic Dutch Italian Portuguese Russian Japanese Chinese : Cardamomo : Cardamome : Kardamom : Kardemumma : Hal : Kardemom : Cardamomo : Cardamomo : Kardamon : Karudamon : Pai-tou-k'ou

Exporters of Cardamom (Large)

Cardamom (large)

Description Large C ardamom s i ap erennial h erb w ith s ubterranean rhizomes a nd 5 0 -140 a erial e l afy s hoots. E ach s hoot h as height of 1.7 to 2.6 mtr and possess 9 to 13 leaves in each tiller. L eaves a re g labrous o n b oth s ides w ith a p rominent mid-rib. I nflorescence s i ac ondensed s pike w ith y ellowish perianth. Each spike has 10 -15 fruits. Fruit is round or oval shape, c apsule w ith re ddish b rown c olour. E ach c apsule s i trilocular ith a w m ny eeds. s

Origin and Distribution Large Cardamom is cultivated in the Sub -Himalayan region of North E astern I ndia, N epal a nd B hutan. I t i s g rown i n c old humid conditions under shade of trees at an altitude between 800-2000 meters above MSL., with an ave rage precipitation of 3 000 -3500 m m s pread o ver a bout 2 00 d ays a nd w ith temperature ngr ia ng rom f 6 -30 egrd ee . C

Uses It is used as a flavourant in dishes like Pulavu, Biriyani and meat p reparations. I t i s a n i ngredient i n c urry p owder a nd spice m asala m ix tures a nd s i a lso u sed n i Ay urvedic a nd Unani m edicines. t I h as a pplications n i lf avouring o c la, biscuits, liquors.

Botanical name Amomum subulatum Roxb.

Family name Zingiberaceae

Commercial part Fruit (Capsule)

Indian Names Hindi Bengali Malayalam Punjabi Sanskrit Tamil Telugu Urdu : Bara Elaichi : Bara Elaichi : Perelam : Bara Elaichi : Brihadaela : Periya yalam : Peddayelaki : Bara Elaichi

Courtesy: spice board of India

Disclaimer : This file is only for information purpose. The data is compiled by Invester Guru Research Team