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Elettaria cardamomum

Biological Name: Elettaria cardamomum, Elettaria repens, Zingiberaceae

Other Names: Bastard cardamom, cardamom seeds, cardamon, Malabar cardamom, cardamom, Ela, Elachi, Yelam.

Cardamom is a perennial plant found commonly in southern India. The simple, erect stems grow to a height of 6 to 10 feet from a thumb-thick, creeping rootstock. The leaves are lanceolate, dark green and glabrous above, lighter and silky beneath. The small, yellowish flowers grow in loose racemes on prostrate flower stems. The fruit is a three-celled-capsule holding up to 18 seeds.

It is said that cardamom grew in the gardens of the King of Babylon in 720 B.C. The ancient Egyptians chewed cardamoms to whiten their teeth and simultaneously sweeten their breath. As early as 4 B.C., Indian Ayurvedic medicine texts used the spice to remove fat and as a cure for urinary and skin complaints. Cardamom was used in perfumes by ancient Greeks and Romans, and also recommended by Apicius, a famous Roman epicure, to counteract over-indulgence.

Traditional uses: asthma, belching, biliousness, bronchitis, colds, cough, diarrhoea, headache, hoarseness, indigestion, involuntary urination, nausea, respiratory disorders, stomach complaints, to stimulate the mind.