Introduction


Introduction
    Scientific Name: Amomum subulatum
    Family : Zingiberaceae
    English Name: Large Cardamom, Greater cardamom, Nepal cardamom
    Indian name : Badi Elaichi
    • Large or greater cardamom botanically called Amomum subulatum Roxb. belongs to the family Zingiberaceae.
    • It is also known as Nepal cardamom and is an important spice crop of India.
    • The seeds of large cardamom, which are commercially important, have the following chemical composition: moisture-8.49%, volatile oil-2.8%, volatile ether extract-3.0%, crude fibre-22.0%, starch-43.21%, alcohol extract-7.02%, total ash-4.01%, water-soluble ash-2.15%, alkalinity of water-soluble ash-0.90% and ash insoluble in acid-0.42%. The fruit, on an average consists of 70% seeds and 30% skin.
    • The volatile oil present in the seeds of large cardamom is one of the principle constituents responsible for its typical characteristic odour. The volatile oil is pale yellow in colour and consists of (in%) oc-pinene (2.0), f3-pinene (2.4), sabinene (0.2), myrcene (0.3), oc-terpinene (0.2), limonene (10.3), 1,8 cineole (74.0), y-terpinene (0.2), r-cymene (0.2), terpin-4-d (2.0), d-terpineol (5.6) and nerolidol (1.0).
    • Due to its pleasant aromatic odour, large cardamom is used for flavouring various vegetables and meat preparations. It is also used as a flavouring agent in confectionery, hot or sweet pickles and in beverages. The seed is used as an essential ingredient in mixed spice preparations. The ripe fruits are eaten raw by the inhabitants of Sikkim and Darjeeling during September and October.
    • The seeds have a sharp, good taste and are a tonic for heart and liver. They are an astringent to the bowels, are hypnotic, appetizing and aid digestion. The outside covering is good for headaches and for the teeth and heals stomatitis.
    • The decoction of the seeds is used as a gargle to cure problems of the teeth and gums. In combination with melon seeds, they are used as a diuretic in case of kidney stones. In certain disorders of the digestive system, marked by scanty and viscid secretion from intestines, they promote elimination of bile and are useful in congestion of the liver. The seeds are used in treating gonorrhoea and as an aphrodisiac. They have also been found useful for the cure of neuralgia, in large doses in conjunction with quinine.
    • The seeds are used as antidotes to snake or scorpion venom. The seeds are also widely used in India as a spice or condiment and in the preparation of sweets. In medicine, they are fragrant adjuncts to other stimulants, bitters and purgatives.
    • The oil extracted from the seeds is applied to the eyelids to allay inflammation. It is an aromatic cardiac stimulant, stomachic, diuretic, carminative and is a remedy for throat and respiratory ailments.
    • Large cardamom is native to the moist, deciduous and evergreen forests of the sub-Himalayan region. It is an important crop of Sikkim from where it has spread to the North-eastern states and parts of West Bengal, Assam and neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan

Last modified: Friday, 9 March 2012, 11:42 AM