Cardamom is the most sought-after spice, hence its nickname: the queen of spices. Why?
Cardamom, often called the “Queen of Spices,” is the dried fruit of a tall perennial herb, Elettaria cardamomum Maton, which belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. The essential oil derived from cardamom is widely used across various industries, including food, liquor, perfumery, and pharmaceuticals, for its flavoring properties and carminative effects.
Cardamom fruits are clustered in small, short bunches, characterized by a capsule-shaped fruit with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm. The fruit also has tight stripes and fine short hair. Cardamom has a crown of remaining flower jewelry that is hairy and gray-yellow. When ripe, the fruit will burst and divide based on its chambers.
Cardamom encompasses a wide variety of species, with at least 150-180 types, several of which are extensively cultivated due to their high economic value. Currently, cardamom is recognized across three primary genera: Amomum, Aframomum, and Elettaria.
More: 5 Unique Cardamom Facts, from Nutrition to Side Effects
Cardamom is the Queen of Spices
Cardamom is called the queen of spices because of its use in various sectors. Cardamom is not only known as a spice for cooking but also as a phytopharmaceutical plant or medicine from natural plants. Cardamom is also a horticultural commodity that produces spices and medicines that have high potential value.
As a spice, cardamom cannot be replaced by other plants because of its distinctive aroma, and is classified as the third most expensive spice in the world after saffron and vanilla. Another function is as a raw material for the pharmaceutical, herbal, and perfume industries because it contains the active ingredients cineol, terpenes, terpineol, and borneol from the seeds, as well as essential oils that are used as aroma givers.
Cardamom is renowned for its numerous health benefits, serving as a key ingredient in herbal and traditional medicines. Its pharmacological properties make it effective in treating coughs, clearing phlegm, relieving bloating, reducing fever, and acting as an antitussive and anti-nausea remedy.
In some parts of Indonesia, cardamom is cultivated quite easily. Cardamom can be propagated vegetatively from the mother tree, namely by cuttings of saplings or rhizomes that sprout and root.
Sapling cuttings come from healthy mother plants aged 10-12 months that have borne fruit and have no symptoms of bacterial wilt, root rot, rhizome rot, leaf rust, leaf spot, root nematodes, or rhizome borer pests.
Cardamom is ready to harvest when the leaves are lush and seven months old. Harvesting is done several times a year until the plant is 15 years old. That’s the reason why cardamom is known as the Queen of Spices.
