Cardamom
(Amomum sp. – Family Zingiberaceae)
Cardamom comes from some 150 species found scattered throughout the tropics. No fewer than six genera have been referred to as cardamom: Elettaria, Amomum, Aframomum, Languas, Riedelia, and Vanoverberghia. As far back as the 4th century BCE, the Greeks were buying spices called amomon and kardamomon, and later Greek and Roman writers distinguished varieties of both into “true” and “false” cardamom. Pliny and Dioscorides wrote of them as well, and it is not clear as to which one is called the true cardamom. What is certain is that such spices were an article of trade with India and Sri Lanka for about 1,000 years, and India remains the largest producer. Guatemala is the second largest producer, and Sri Lanka and Tanzania tie for third. Other countries also produce the spice, but on a smaller scale. Cardamom is the third most expensive spice after saffron and vanilla. One species under successful cultivation is great cardamom (A. angustifolium), which grows on marshy ground in Madagascar producing seeds sold by the names, Great Cardamom or Madagascar.
The three-angled fruits are either ovoid or oblong, and are picked before they are fully ripe as they are apt to split if left any longer. The fruits are then cured by drying, becoming hard and a good green colour. Some are bleached before sale as a means of disguising a poor condition. This practice has happened often enough that it is now becoming a consumer demand. Each fruit is made up of three cells, each containing numerous small seeds which turn from white to brown to black as the fruit ripens. Their pleasing aroma is slightly pungent, and the essential oil can be distilled from them. This oil (cineole) is responsible for the eucalyptus-like hint in the flavour. Since ancient times, cardamom has been used, not only as a flavouring, but also as an aromatic medicine throughout the East Indies. It is known to be a carminative, relieving flatulence, and stimulating the stomach while aiding digestion.
Cardamom is a tall herb whose erect leafy stem can grow to nine feet, with shorter flowering stems that grow horizontally along the ground. The dried fruits of the Amomum species are now considered to be the true cardamom while the larger brown or black fruits, which come from other species, are said to be the “false” cardamom. However, other criteria come into play and seem to change with a whim. For some, the only true cardamom is considered to be that of the species Elettaria cardamomum var. cardamomum. Another very similar species, var. major, is a wild type of Sri Lanka that has larger fruits, but less esteemed. Another distinction made is the region of origin. The Malabar and Mysore types of true cardamom differ in the composition of their volatile oils, which also affects the presence of sugar in the mucilage surrounding the seeds. This is absent from the Malabar types. Thirdly, there are false cardamoms which are very closely related to the true ones and share some of their characteristics and, according to some, have no fewer than six genera that bear big brown cardamom fruits. Some of these include the following:
– The Napal or large cardamom has a harsh aroma and is considered inferior.
– The Java cardamom (Amomum compactum) has a strong smell of camphor.
– The Chinese cardamom (Alpinia globosa) is a large round variety that also smells of camphor.
– Thai or ‘bastard’ cardamom (Amomum xanthioides).
– The Ethiopian or Korarima cardamom (Aframomum korarima) is brown, with a harsh camphor odour.
– Madagascar cardamom (Aframomum angustifolium) is used as a substitute for pepper in areas where it is grown.
