Listing description
Cardamom (/ˈkɑːrdəməm/), sometimes Cardamon or Cardamum,[1] is
a spice made from
the seeds of several plants in the genera Elettariaand Amomum in the
family Zingiberaceae. Both genera
are native to India (the
largest producer until the late 20th century), Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia and Nepal.
Detailed description
They are recognised
by their small seed pods: triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with
a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds; Elettaria pods
are light green and smaller, while Amomum pods are larger and
dark brown.
The German coffee planter Oscar Majus Kloeffer
introduced Indian cardamom (kerala) to cultivation in Guatemala before World War I; by 2000 that
country had become the biggest producer and exporter of cardamom in the world,
followed by India.[2] Some other
countries, such as Sri Lanka, have also begun to cultivate it.
Cardamom is the world's
third-most expensive spice, surpassed in price per weight only by vanilla and saffron.
Uses
Both forms of cardamom are used as flavorings and
cooking spices in both food and drink, and as a medicine. E. cardamomum (green
cardamom) is used as a spice, a masticatory, and in medicine; it is also
smoked.
Food and beverage
Cardamom has a strong, unique taste, with an
intensely aromatic, resinous fragrance. Black cardamom has a distinctly more
smokey, though not bitter, aroma, with a coolness some consider similar to
mint.
Green cardamom is one of the more expensive spices
by weight, but little is needed to impart flavor. It is best stored in the pod
as exposed or ground seeds quickly lose their flavor. Grinding the pods and
seeds together lowers both the quality and the price. For recipes requiring
whole cardamom pods, a generally accepted equivalent is 10 pods equals 1 1⁄2 teaspoons of ground cardamom.[citation needed][14]
It is a common ingredient in Indian cooking. It is
also often used in baking in the Nordic countries, in particular
in Sweden and Finland, where it is used
in traditional treats such as the Scandinavian Jule bread Julekake,
the Swedish kardemummabullar sweet bun, and Finnish sweet
bread pulla. In the Middle East, green cardamom
powder is used as a spice for sweet dishes, as well as traditional flavouring
in coffee and tea. Cardamom is used to a wide extent in savoury dishes. In some
Middle Eastern countries, coffee and cardamom are often ground in a wooden
mortar, a mihbaj, and cooked together in a skillet, a mehmas, over
wood or gas, to produce mixtures as much as 40% cardamom.
In Asia both types of cardamom are widely used in
both sweet and savory dishes, particularly in the south. Both are frequent
components in spice mixes, such as Indian and Nepali masalas and Thai curry
pastes. Green cardamom is often used in traditional Indian sweets and in masala chai (spiced tea).
Both are also often used as a garnish in basmati rice and other dishes.
Individual seeds are sometimes chewed and used in much the same way as chewing
gum. It is used by confectionery giant Wrigley; its Eclipse Breeze
Exotic Mint packaging indicates the product contains "cardamom to neutralize
the toughest breath odors". It is also included in gin and herbal teas.
Composition
The content of essential oil in the seeds is
strongly dependent on storage conditions, but may be as high as 8%. In the oil
were found α-terpineol 45%, myrcene 27%, limonene 8%, menthone 6%, β-phellandrene 3%, 1,8-cineol 2%, sabinene 2% and heptane 2%. Other
sources report 1,8-cineol (20 to 50%), α-terpenylacetate (30%), sabinene, limonene (2 to 14%), and borneol.
In the seeds of round cardamom from Java (A.
kepulaga), the content of essential oil is lower (2 to 4%), and the oil
contains mainly 1,8 cineol (up to 70%) plus β-pinene (16%);
furthermore, α-pinene, α-terpineol and humulene were found.
PRICE
$58.20/KG
For more information:
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