Cardamom is known as one of the spices used in cooking to flavor certain dishes and is generally associated with countries like India and Arab nations.
What is it about
It is a fragrant seed used since ancient times, due to its medicinal and aromatic properties, as mentioned in Sumerian scriptures and Ayurvedic texts in India.
In ancient Egypt, to whiten teeth and achieve fresher breath, cardamom seeds were chewed.
According to legend, Semiramis, queen of the ancient Hanging Gardens of Babylon, used to offer her lovers cardamom wine, because of the believe that cardamom was an aphrodisiac.
Similarly, Cleopatra would perfume her palace with cardamom to seduce Mark Antony.
Where can we find them
Cardamom plants are herbaceous and grow in tropical and subtropical areas, reaching up to 5 meters in height. They have delicate white flowers and small seed pods, which are the fruit of the plant, each containing 10 to 20 aromatic black seeds.
In Guatemala, for 107 years, cardamom has been cultivated as an ornamental plant, thanks to the German Majus Kloeffer who introduced the cultivation of cardamom.
Today, Guatemala has become the world's leading supplier of cardamom, cultivating the most prized variety.
Like saffron and vanilla, cardamom is one of the most expensive and valued spices. It is very popular in the Middle East, where it is used to flavor coffee, and is essential in curry dishes. Additionally, it is used in perfumery.
