The cardamom is a famous spice belonging to the botanical family of Zingiberaceaethe same as the most famous ginger. There are several species of plants identified as cardamom, the most famous being theElettaria cardamomumfrom which it is possible to derive i green cardamom seeds. This species is native to the East, in particular to Iran and the Indies, but was already known in Europe at the time of the Greeks and Romans. Another important species is theElettaria repensalso called Ceylon cardamom, to identify its exact origin. Whatever the type, it is a precious and sought-after aromatic spice, which is the basis of many recipes of oriental cuisine. In addition, it is also a spice with beneficial properties for the body.
In our country it is a difficult plant to grow, even if it is not impossible. In this article we understand how to do it, we also analyze the characteristics of the plant and see its properties and uses.
The cardamom plant
Cardamom is a perennial plant that comes from a rhizomatous and creeping root system in the ground, with a woody and fleshy consistency. From the rhizome the plant produces long erect, sterile branches, up to 5 m high, very similar to a classic cane. Floriferous branches grow near the long canes, which will produce the spice (the fruits). These branches are much smaller in size.
Leaves
Cardamom leaves are of two types. We have the sheath that completely wraps the upright branches, so it is very long, even if totally rolled up. And then there are the secondary leaves, oblong-lanceolate, even up to 1 m long, with a sharp apex and wavy margin. These leaves descend the long branches.
Flowers
The cardamom flowers are gathered in a long, supple and almost always falling panicle, carried, as mentioned, by a short branch that comes from the rhizome.
The individual flowers are very aesthetically pleasing. They are carried by a short peduncle, the calyx is cylindrical and bilobed. The corolla also has a cylindrical tube and is divided into four lobes, three equal and lanceolate, the fourth largest, called the labellum, of blue color and with yellow shades.
Fruits and cardamom seeds
Fruits and seeds of the plant are the “drug”, that is the real spice, therefore cardamom.
The fruit is an ovoid-oblong capsule, greyish-green in color, with a triangular section, with the lateral faces lined with very thin furrows.
It is harvested just before ripening, so that, when it starts to dry, it does not open. By dissecting the fruit, then opening it, we observe three lodges, each containing 5-6 brown seeds, with a strongly aromatic smell and taste.
Then the cardamom fruits that you buy are opened when needed and the seeds are used.
How to grow the cardamom plant
The major crops of cardamom are found in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia. These are countries with a tropical climate, therefore mild and humid in winter, hot and humid in summer. These conditions do not exist in our country, where winters are mild-temperate.
The cardamom plant cannot resist below 10 ° C, with the ideal vegetative range around 20 ° C. In the home, therefore, the only possibility is to grow it in pots, sheltering the plants at home during the winter. Unfortunately, cardamom plants are very bulky and need a lot of space to develop. For this reason, they require huge pots that are difficult to move. In our opinion, therefore, the only possibility to successfully cultivate cardamom in Italy is to do it in a heated greenhouse (protected culture), with controlled temperatures and humidity. A choice that requires large investments from an economic point of view.
Reproduction
You can find cardamom plants for sale at nurseries that deal with exotic fruits. From the plant, however, it is easy to obtain clones by dividing the underground rhizome, an operation which is preferable to carry out in spring or autumn. The buried rhizome has an easy vegetative restart.
Ground
Cardamom like ones soil with subacid pHwell drained, of loose consistency, preferably silty-sandy.
Exposure
In nature, the cardamom plant lives in bright, but semi-shaded places. Full sun exposure, combined with high temperatures, is poorly tolerated. In a greenhouse it is easy to filter the light and get the right shade.
Irrigation
Irrigation, especially in protected crops, must be regular. In fact, the plant loves the soil that is always well moist, even if one must never overdo it, in order not to cause stagnation and root rot.
Soil management
Cardamom plants have a remarkable development and do not allow the growth of weeds. Hence, the operations of weeding they are limited to the early stages of life.
Uses of cardamom
The secrets of cardamom are kept in the seeds, which are rich in a precious essential oil. This spice, with a characteristic and refined aroma, is among the most used and expensive in Eastern countries and in the West. The essential oil gives cardamom a warm and pungent aroma, which makes it a very popular ingredient for the preparation of liqueurs, soft drinks, sweets and perfumes. In the kitchen it is perfect for flavoring meat and fish dishes with a strong flavor.
In Arab countries it is instead used to flavor the coffee in traditional rites.
The pharmaceutical sector uses cardamom for its high covering power of bitter, disgusting or too persistent odors and tastes, such as B vitamins, liver extracts and antibiotics.
Properties of cardamom
Cardamom also has beneficial properties as an appetite stimulant, excellent digestive and carminative. To take advantage of these benefits, the oriental popular tradition suggests chewing the whole fruit, in case of indigestion and intestinal colic.
In Italy, the spice is mainly used in the preparation of liqueurs and bitters and it can be found in specialty storesboth whole (capsules as such containing the seeds) and in powder form.
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