Did you know that Green Cardamomum, a herbal plant native to southern India is known by three varieties such as Malabar (Allappey) , Mysore (Coorg), and a hybrid of the first two called Vazhuka true cardamom, with 80 % produce exported to Middle East countries?

Green Cardamomum (Elettaria cardamomum)

Did you know that Green Cardamomum, a herbal plant native to southern India is known by three varieties such as Malabar (Allappey) , Mysore (Coorg), and a hybrid of the first two called Vazhuka true cardamom, with 80 % produce exported to Middle East countries?

Green Cardamomum, with botanical name Elettaria Cardamomum, considered as True Cardamom or when bleached, white cardamom, a herbaceous perennial plant in the ginger family, native to Southern India, is cultivated widely in tropical regions and reportedly naturalized in Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal, Réunion, Indochina and Costa Rica. Since World War I its cultivation has spread to Guatemala, Malaysia, and Tanzania. It belongs to the ‘Zingiberaceae’ or ginger family. It has small seed pods with triangular cross-section and spindled with a thin green outer shell and small black seeds inside. The seed is widely used as flavourings, cooking spices in both food and drink, as a medicine, masticatory, and also smoked. 

 

Its use in ancient Ayurvedic medicine, traced to 400 BCE, is known by the name Sukshma-ela and Elaichii. It is known in other Indian languages as: Elakki (ಎಲಕ್ಕಿ) in Kannada; Trutih in Sanskrit; Elaichi in Hindi; Elatarri in Malayalam; Elam Ancha in Tamil; and Elaki in Telugu. However, in English, it is popular as Cardamom or Malabar cardamom.

The Southern India variety, which is the most popular in the world, as the green cardamom is known in three varieties - Malabar (Allappey in Kerala), Mysore (Coorg), and hybrid Vazhuka. 

1. The Malabar (Allappey or Alappuzha), the native variety of Kerala, plants have floral racemes (which bear the pods) that grow horizontally along the ground. In ancient days it was from the port city of Allappey from which it was exported to many countries in olden days. It is kiln dried, has a reasonably uniform shade of green colour and is 3 cornered with ribbed appearance. 

2. Mysore (Coorg), a native variety of South west Karnataka, plants have floral racemes which grow vertically. It is unique in its colour, size, chemical compounds and oil content. The colour range varies from greenish to brown. Its global dry skin can be ribbed or smooth, and pedicels are separated

3. Vazhuka is a naturally occurring hybrid between Malabar and Mysore varieties, and the panicles grow neither vertically nor horizontally, but in between.

Apart from the above three varieties, recently a new high-yielding variety called 'Njallani' has become popular. A purely white-flowered variety of Vazhuka type green cardamom having higher yield than 'Njallani' has also been developed in Kerala. 

Green cardamom plant is a pungent, aromatic, herbaceous, perennial, growing to about 2–4 m (6 ft 7 in–13 ft 1 in) in height. Its leaves, dark green in colour are simple, long and sword-shaped or linear-lanceolate, 40–60 cm (16–24 in) long with a long pointed tip. Its underside in pale may have a covering of tiny hairs. Its flowers are unisexual, can be as long as 1 m, with both male and female parts. Flowers are produced in a loose spike 30–60 cm (12–24 in) long. One of the petals is white or lilac and streaked with pale violet. Its fruits are oval shaped, a three-sided yellow-green pod 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) long. Each fruit has three chambers filled with small aromatic seeds, each about 3 mm long. The fruits dry to a straw-brown colour seeds and are widely used, and largely exported. Seeds are rich in minerals such as calcium, sulfur and phosphorus. 

Drying of seeds is an elaborate and expensive process . There are 

two types of drying, viz., natural sun drying, and artificial drying by using firewood, fuel, or electric current. Drying operation demands heavy input of energy (the energy required to dry 1 kg of green cardamom under 100 per cent efficiency can be used to light 250 numbers of 100 watt bulbs for 1 h). Sun drying is generally undesirable. In electrical drying 50 kg can be dried in trays in chamber in about 10-12 hours maintaining a temperature of 45 to 50 degrees C. Pipe curing is said to be the best process for drying High quality is produced in a drying chamber of 4.5 m length in about 18 to 22 hours. 

Seeds are also extracted for its oil which is done by using steam distillation method; oil content in seeds may be as high as 8%. The main constituents of cardamom oil are: α-terpineol 45%, myrcene 27%, limonene 8%, menthone 6%, β-phellandrene 3%, 1,8-cineol 2%, sabinene 2% and heptane 2%. Oil has sweet and spicy fragrance with pale yellow coloration, and has barely watery viscosity. It also contains antiseptic, aphrodisiac, antimicrobial, astringent, digestive, stimulant, stomachic, and diuretic properties.

Most of the Green cardamom seeds are exported, with 80% exported to middle east countries. It is the 3rd most expensive spice. However, Guatemala where it was introduced before World War I has overtaken India in its exports. India, since 2000, has been the second worldwide exporter (of both green and black variety of cardamom) generating around 15,000 tonnes annually.

Ground cardamom is an ingredient in many Indian curries and is a primary contributor to the flavour of masala chai. In Iran and India, cardamom is used to flavour coffee and tea. In Turkey, it is used to flavour the black Turkish tea, kakakule.

Cardamom and its oil are used for health, skin and hair treatment, and is extensively admired for its use in aromatherapy and relieves spasm, prevents from microbial infections, improves digestion, boosts metabolism, supports nervous system, promotes healthy blood circulation, removes toxins from the body, keeps pores and skin healthy and also maintains hair and scalp health. 

Habit of chewing cardamom after food is very common among richer classes in India. It is served to visitors in many homes. During marriages and other festivals, cardamom is always distributed along with pan (betel leaves) to the guests. For this purpose large green cardamom or the clipped bleached variety is in demand as it is aesthetically attractive. 

In recent years, Government of India has accorded special importance to green cardamom by registering two categories of Green Cardamom - Alleppey and Coorg– under the Geographical Indication tag (GI tag), specific to the geographical region, to provide exclusive rights to its growers to boost the local economy.

- Narasipur Char