Cardamom

Cardamom Latest News

An international team of researchers have identified six species that are close cousins to Elettaria cardamomum, better known as green cardamom.

About Cardamom

• It belongs to the Zingiberaceae family and is popularly known as Queen of Spices.
• It is native to the evergreen rain forests of Western Ghats in South India.
• It is cultivated mainly in the Southern States viz; Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
• Required climatic conditions of Cardamom
  • Soil: It is grown in forest loamy soils which are usually acidic in nature with a pH range of 5.0 – 6.5
  • This crop can be grown at an elevation from 600 to 1500 m.
  • Temperature: 10 to 35 degree C
  • Rainfall: 1500 to 4000 mm
• Growth of cardamom is enhanced, when planted in humus rich soils with low to medium available phosphorus and medium to high available potassium.
• It is used as a flavoring agent and drug in traditional medicine.

Newly Identified Cardamom Species

• Of the six, four were previously placed in a separate genus, Alpinia, while the remaining two have been newly identified and described from Kerala’s Western Ghats regions.
• Following the reclassification, the genus Elettaria now has seven species, including Elettaria cardamomum. E. ensal, E. floribunda, E. involucrata and E. rufescens were earlier placed in the genus Alpinia.
• The remaining two are new species, Elettaria facifera and Elettaria tulipifera, the former described from Kerala’s Periyar Tiger Reserve in Idukki district and the latter from the Agasthyamalai hills in Thiruvananthapuram district and Munnar
• Seed capsules of Elettaria cardamomum provide the commercial green cardamom.

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Cardamom FAQs

Q1: Which state is famous for cardamom in India?

Ans: Kerala

Q2: Why is cardamom called the queen of spices?

Ans: Cardamom, known as the “Queen of Spices,” is valued for its aromatic flavor and health benefits.

Q3: Which is the largest producer of small cardamom in the world?

Ans: Guatemala 

Source: TH