Cardamom Black Whole

Botanical Name:  Amomum subulatum

Common Name:

• English: Black Cardamom, Black Cardamom Pods, Black Cardamom Whole
• Hindi: बड़ी इलायची (Badi Elaichi)
• Bengali: বড় এলাচ (Boro Elach)
• Tamil: பெரிய ஏலக்காய் (Periya Yelakkai)
• Telugu: పెద్ద యాలక (Pedda Yalaka)
• Kannada: ದೊಡ್ಡ ಎಲಕ್ಕಿ (Dodda Elakki)
• Malayalam: കാരുത്ത ഏലക്ക (Karutha Elakka)
• Gujarati: મોટી ઈલાયચી (Moti Elaichi)
• Marathi: मोठी वेलची (Mothi Velchi)
• Punjabi: ਵੱਡੀ ਇਲਾਇਚੀ (Waddi Elaichi)
• Urdu: بڑی الائچی (Bari Elaichi)
• Chinese: 草果 (Cǎo Guǒ)
• Nepali: अलैंची (Alaichi)

Origin:  India

Harvested: Cultivated

Parts Used: Pods

General Information:

Black cardamom is a popular Indian spice, called badi elaichi or kali elaichi, that is used in many of the cuisine's signature dishes. It is in the form of seed pods, which are dark brown to black in color and take on a smokey flavor due to the way they are dried. Cardamom is used for its bold and assertive taste and is the world's third-most expensive spice, surpassed in price per weight only by vanilla and saffron. Both the pods and the seeds are used in cooking and available year-round. 

It grows in pods on an herbaceous plant belonging to the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family. The pods have a tough, dried, wrinkly skin, are roughly one inch in length, and house small, sticky, dark-colored seeds. Black cardamom has a pungent aroma with a citrus and eucalyptus flavor.

Several species of the genus Amomum are distributed all over the mountainous area from the Himalayas to Southern China. The main production regions are Eastern Nepal, India, and Bhutan. More than 50 percent of the world’s harvest is produced in India.

How to use:

Black Cardamom pods used as a spice.

Hot Infusion:

The basic method for dried herbs and flower is, take 2-3 tablespoons of dried herb in a cup or teapot. Pour hot water over it and cover it with lid for 10-30 minutes. Hot water is needed to draw out the antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins, flavonoids and volatile oils from the botanicals. Strain and squeeze out as much as liquid as possible and enjoy!

Tips:

• You can sweeten your herbal tea with a bit of honey, natural fruit juice, stevia leaves powder and or licorice root powder.
• You can make ice cubes or pops by freezing tea in ice trays or pop molds.

 Precautions: 

You should consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using any herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.

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This information has not been evaluated by Health Canada.

This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.