Cardamom - The Queen of Spices Prepared by The Food Club’s Technical Department
Cardamom is one of the most exotic and highly prized spices with a history as old as human civilisation. It is considered the Queen of Spices (black pepper being the King) and it is sometimes known as the Grains of Paradise. It is a native of the jungles of South India and Sri Lanka and it belongs to the family of ginger. The spice comes from the dried seed pod of a herbaceous perennial with a thick, fleshy rootstock which sends up flowering stems from 6 to 12 feet high. The aromatic pods come in three varieties:- white, green (more perfumed than white) and black/brown (larger and can be harder to obtain) and inside the pod are about 20 small, black, sticky seeds. Historical Prospective Cardamom is mentioned in an Egyptian papyrus as early as 1550 BC as having numerous medical properties. Cleopatra is reputed to have found the fragrance of the crushed seeds so enticing that she scented the rooms of her palace with cardamom smoke when Marc Anthony paid her a visit. It is said that one whiff of cardamom can transport you back to the days of antiquity. It is second only to saffron in cost and it was probably first imported into Europe in the early 13th Century. Main Producing Countries Today it is cultivated in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Mexico, Thailand and Central America with 60% of the world production being exported to Arab countries where it is an essential ingredient to their coffee. Much of the production from Guatemala is sent to the USA. How it is Used It is used a lot in curries in the countries where it grows but it is also popular in parts of Eastern and Northern Africa, Germany, Japan and Russia. In Scandinavia it is used in the preparation of cakes and biscuits as well as pastries and sausages. The whole pod is used to flavour rice and meat dishes and then discarded, or the pod is opened and the seeds removed and crushed for sprinkling on sweets or vegetables. Cardamom is also available in ground form where it complements cream, fish, fruit, meat, pickles, rice and yoghurt. It is also often used when preparing Indian ice-cream. Other Attributes Its lemony-eucalyptus flavour is reputed to have a cooling effect on the body and accounts for its extensive use in the hotter regions. It is considered to aid digestion and chewing a few seeds acts as a breath freshener and a slight stimulant. Research from the University of California indicates that cardamom may also help to prevent the formation of cavities. Storage The pods should be stored in airtight containers and kept away from light but even then the seeds will show a loss of about 40% of the essential oils in a year. The seeds lose their flavour much more quickly when ground. Only buy whole cardamom pods and just before using the spice crush the pods. Green pods are significantly superior in fragrance. For More Information:- http://www.nhcgroup.com/spice1.htm
Cardamom Flowering
Green Cardamom Pods
Cardamom Plant Stem with Pods Cardamom.Jan 2001 |
