#748 Elettaria cardamomum Common Names: cardamom, Malabar cardamom, Ceylon cardamom Family: Zingiberaceae (ginger Family) Get link to this Profile or click for data record #748

Cardamom makes an attractive addition to the subtropical landscape but in Zone 9 the plants are likely to be clobbered back to the roots by cold snaps,.

Location
Cardamom grows wild in the Ghat Mountains on the Malabar Coast of SW India, in an area known as the Cardamom Hills. It occurs in the understory of tropical rain forests at elevations of 2500 - 5000 ft (762-1524 m), where it rains about 150 in (381 cm) per year. It also grows in similar habitats in Sri Lanka. Cardamom is cultivated commercially in India, Sri Lanka, Guatemala and Tanzania.

Culture
Light: Cardamom grows in filtered shade.
Moisture: Cardamom grows with its roots continually wet. It needs constant moisture. It does okay if the rain stops for a short period, once in a while!
Hardiness: USDA Zones 10 - 12. A constant temperature around 72ºF (22ºC) is best. Cardamom suffers at temperatures below 50ºF (10ºC).
Propagation: Cardamom usually is propagated by division of rhizomes.

Usage
Cardamom will flower and fruit only under tropical conditions. In sub-tropical or temperate regions it makes an attractive foliage plant in a warm green house. In areas that are frost-free, grow cardamom in a shady and moist border or bed. Cardamom is a principal ingredient in curry powders, and is used to flavor confectioneries, liqueurs and chewing gums. In some parts of the world, especially the Near East and Saudi Arabia, cardamom is ground and mixed with coffee. In southeast Asia cardamom is mixed with betel leaves for chewing. In the West it is used in perfumes. In Mexico and Guatemala you can buy cardamom chewing gum - it is delicious! Scandinavians use more cardamom than anyone else in the Western Hemisphere. They use it to flavor breads, cakes, candies, sausages and other meats. Add some ground cardamom to your next sweet pastry or apple pie.

Features
Cardamom is grown commercially in plantations under the shade of tall forest trees. It is a very labor-intensive crop to produce. The fruits are picked individually by hand before they are fully ripe, over a period of several months. Only saffron and vanilla are more expensive spices.

Ancient Indians, more than 1000 years before Christ, used cardamom medicinally to treat various maladies. Cardamom, like cinnamon and ginger, is a stimulant, and is said to relieve indigestion, flatulence and headaches. The Greeks and Romans used it as a culinary spice.

False cardamom, from other kinds of gingers in the genera Amomum and Aframomum, is produced in Thailand and Cambodia, and sold as a substitute for (or counterfeit of) the real thing.

Steve Christman 3/4/00; updated 1/25/04

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