Description
Cardamom has a strong, unique taste, with an intensely aromatic,
resinous fragrance.
Cardamom (or
Cardamon) refers to several
plants of the genera
Elettaria and
Amomum in the
ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to India and
Bhutan; they are recognised by their small seed pod, triangular in
cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer
shell..Green cardamom is broadly used in South Asia to treat
infections in teeth and
gums,
to prevent and treat throat troubles, congestion of the lungs and
pulmonary
tuberculosis,
inflammation of eyelids and also
digestive disorders. It also is used to
break up kidney stones and gall stones, and was reportedly used as
an
antidote for both snake and
scorpion
venom.
Amomum
is used as a spice and as an ingredient in traditional medicine in
systems of the
traditional Chinese
medicine in
China, in
Ayurveda in
India,
Pakistan,
Japan,
Korea and
Vietnam. Species in the genus
Amomum
are also used in traditional
Indian
medicine. Among other species, varieties and cultivars,
Amomum villosum cultivated in China, Laos and Vietnam is
used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat stomach issues ,
constipation,
dysentery, and other digestion problems.
"Tsaoko" cardamom
Amomum tsao-ko is cultivated in
Yunnan,
China and northwest Vietnam, both for
medicinal purposes and as a spice. Increased demand since the
***0s, principally from China, for both
Amomum villosum and
Amomum tsao-ko has provided a key source of income for poor
farmers living at higher altitudes in localized areas of China,
Laos and Vietnam, people typically isolated from many other
markets. Until recently,
Nepal
had been the world's largest producer of large cardamom.
Guatemala has become the
world's biggest producer and exporter of cardamom, with an export
total of US$**7.2 million for ***7.