Cardamom (Elettaria, Amomum, Aframomum)
CHEW AFTER EVERY MEAL
Did you know … long before toothbrushes, ancient Egyptians chewed cardamom seeds to clean their teeth?
What’s the Story?
The name cardamom, also seen as cardamon, refers to three varieties from the ginger family: Elettaria, commonly known as green cardamom or true cardamom; Amomum, known as black cardamom; and Aframomum, found and used mainly in Africa and Madagascar. All cardamom species have been used in cooking and for healing purposes. Cardamom has a strong, unique taste, with an intensely aromatic fragrance. It is often used in baked goods but can be found in such dishes as masala, meat loaf, sausages, curries, and in beverages such as chai, coffee and tea throughout the world. Cardamom is especially popular across the Arab world.
A Serving of Food Lore …
Cardamom is thought to be native to India and south-eastern Asia. It may have been brought to Europe around 800 years ago, and, by means of trade, introduced throughout the rest of the world.
Where Is Cardamom Grown?
Cardamom is cultivated mainly in India, but only a small share of its production is exported due to the large domestic demand. Guatemala, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Thailand and Central America are the main exporters of cardamom.
Why Should I Eat Cardamom?
Cardamom is loaded with essential oils that have high antioxidant properties.
Home Remedies
In India, green cardamom is used to treat a range of maladies such as periodontal infections, sore throats, lung congestion, tuberculosis, inflammation and digestive disorders. It is also reportedly used as an antidote for both snake and scorpion venom.
The Amomum species is used extensively in traditional Indian medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine uses cardamom for treating stomach aches, constipation, diarrhoea and other digestive difficulties. Cardomon has been traditionally used as an antispasmotic.
Throw Me a Lifesaver!
DIGESTIVE HEALTH: Cardamom possesses the ability to kill harmful H. pylori bacteria associated with ulcers. It also exerts a calming effect on the rest of the digestive tract and has been used to treat dyspepsia and gastritis.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY: An animal study found that Swiss albino mice who received cardamom extract daily for eight weeks had significant reductions in many markers of inflammation. Increased death of colon cancer cells was also observed in the group that received cardamom extract.
Tips for Using Cardamom
SELECTION AND STORAGE:
• Cardamom is sold in two ways: high-quality ground and fresh in its pod, typically in the green and black varieties.
• Cardamom is best stored in pod form, because once the seeds are exposed or ground, they quickly lose their flavour.
• Keep ground cardamom in a cool, dry place in a tightly sealed container.
PREPARATION AND SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
• For recipes requiring whole cardamom pods, a generally accepted equivalent is 10 pods equals 1½ teaspoons of ground cardamom.
• Green cardamom is traditionally mixed together with roasted coffee beans to make the Arabian coffee beverage called Gahwa.
• Add ground cardamom to flans, rice pudding or hot breakfast cereals. Add whole cardamom to tea with milk or chai beverages.
• Cardamom is traditionally offered after dinner in Indian restaurants as a breath-freshener.
by Dave Grotto
Serves: 8 • Prep and cooking time: 25 minutes
You can substitute chicken or fish for the tofu, if you like. This recipe contains an amazing ten powerhouse foods.
INGREDIENTS:
2lb/900g firm tofu cut into ½″ slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
1 large green pepper, sliced into 2″ strips
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
3 teaspoons curry powder
1 (15oz/400g) tin tomato sauce
1 (10oz/275g) tin coconut milk
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
Salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, sauté tofu pieces until crispy and browned. Remove tofu from pan and set aside. Sauté onion and green pepper in pan until onion is translucent; add ginger and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant, then stir in curry powder. Return tofu to frying pan and add tomato sauce, coconut milk, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir all together. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
BREAK IT DOWN …
Calories: 210; Total fat: 12g; Saturated fat: 7g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 430mg; Total carbs: 17g; Fibre: 3g; Sugar: 11g; Protein: 11g.