THE SPICES of life part II
CARDAMOM, ELETTARIA CARDAMOMUM
True cardamom is native to Sri Lanka and southern India. It has been cultivated and traded from these locations for more than 2500 years and is often called the Queen of Spices. It can also be found growing in parts of eastern Asia, Mexico and Guatemala.
Cardamom is not just all about food; it has a long history of ceremonial significance and medicinal uses as well. It was thought to be one of the most valuable spices traded along the spice routes.
Cardamom is in the ginger family and in typical ginger fashion has lush, large, sword-shaped dark-green leaves that, when crushed, are quite fragrant. The plants can grow several metres tall.
Growing and harvesting
As a tropical plant, cardamom requires temperatures to be consistently above 20°C to flower and fruit. It likes a protected, lightly shaded location, ample water and organically rich soil. It can also be grown in containers.
The flowers are white and green with purple veins and in tropical regions can appear
