Cardomom Facts
Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), or Elaichi as it is called in India or Sha Ren in China, has a history as old as the human race. This aromatic herb is a native of southeast India.
It is mentioned in ancient Vedic texts written over 5,000 years ago, and later by Dioscorides in the 5th century BC.
Cardamom grew in the gardens of the King of Babylon in 720 BC. In China during the Tang Dynasty it is said that members of the court chewed the pods when they were granted an audience by the Emperor to ensure that their breath stayed fragrant. It was probably imported into Europe around 1200 AD.
Enclosed in the green fruit pods are tiny, brown aromatic seeds wrapped in a thin, transparent cover. These seeds are warming with a slightly spicy pungent taste. The seed is what is used for medicinal as well as culinary purposes. Cardamom is the third most expensive spice in the world, as each seed must be handpicked.
Cardamom is most commonly used as a spice in curries and chai teas, but it contains substantial medicinal qualities as well.
In both Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is highly regarded for its warming and moving qualities.
As a carminative it helps with a variety of gastro-intestinal issues, like abdominal fullness, nausea, flatulence, diarrhea and vomiting.
It also aids in digestion.
Cardamom is helpful with issues of anorexia, asthma, and bronchitis.
It also helps counteract the effects of mucus forming foods such as dairy products and to detoxify from caffeine-rich coffee by increasing the secretion and discharge of urine. In fact, the Turkish are fond of adding cardamom to their coffee.
The essential oil of cardamom seed is used for its uplifting and invigorating properties and cardamom oil is also used in perfumes and as a stimulant. Cardamom was a favored ingredient in love potions.
The aphrodisiac properties of cardamom are extolled in the book, Arabian Nights.
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