Cardamom spice is a member of the Ginger family called Zingiberaceae. Cardamom is a leafy tropical plant and it is about 12 ft tall when grown up. It is grown commercially in plantations under the shade of tall trees. Growing cardamom is quite labour-intensive. The fruits are picked by hand before they are fully ripe. Cardamom planting materials in Uganda are from India. The plant takes two-and-half to three years to mature Cardamom in Uganda has continued to grow and today, almost 2,000 farmers across the country grow cardamom. The harvested product has high quality, exceptionally fine aroma and a high concentration of essential oils Uganda export about 3 tonnes of Cardamom per year but they are targeting 100 tonnes in 2012.
Varieties Cardamom
- Elettaria
- Amomum
- Aframomum.
Areas that grow cardamom
- Mukono District
- Buikwe District
- Bundibugyo District
- Kabarole District
- Jinja District
- Kyenjojo Districts
Conditions
- Cardamom grows in filtered shade. It will not survive in open fields. It requires a constant temperature of around 22ºC. It suffers at temperatures below 10ºC, but will tolerate a little cold for a short time if kept very dry at the roots.
- Cardamom does well in altitudes ranging from 900 to 1370 metres above sea level
- The best possible time for planting cardamom is from June to July.
- It will flower and fruit only under tropical conditions.
- Cardamom needs constant moisture. It does okay if the rain stops for a short period. Propagation is usually by division of rhizomes or by splitting a larger plant into small pieces. The roots are very tough. The cardamom pods sold for cooking are picked unripe so the seeds will not grow if one tries to plant them.
- It does not do well in draught, sudden changes of temperature or direct sunlight, Should be grown in a warm, moist, shady place and keep it moist with rainwater.
Uses
- It is a principal ingredient in curry powders.
- It is also used as a flavour in confectioneries, liquors and chewing gums.
- In some parts of the world it is ground and mixed with coffee.
- In the west it is used in perfumes and in Mexico it is used in chewing gum.
- Scandinavians use it to flavour bread, cakes, candies, sausages and meats.
- In Europe cardamom is put in wine and coffee.
Harvesting
- Cardamom reaches the stage of harvest after two-and-half years. Its pods sold for cooking are picked when unripe so the seeds will not grow if one tries to sow them. The average harvest per Cardamom crop is 5kg (fresh) per season if the agronomic practices have been followed but records have shown that up to 10kg can be harvested.
- Cardamom has two harvesting seasons in a year – March to April and October to November. Apart from the peak period, on a regular basis every two weeks about 0.5kg is harvested throughout the year in case of good rains and agronomic practices.
Storage of Cardamom
The best way to store Cardamom is in a glass or plastic container that is airtight. This helps prevent moisture from getting into it. Extra care is required when storing Cardamom that is in powder form, as it is more vulnerable to dampness hence getting spoilt. Therefore, it is best to purchase and store Cardamom in its whole form, and powder it if you need to use it that way.
Health benefits
- Cardamom is both a spice used in preparing various dishes, and a medicinal herb used to treat painful teeth and bleeding gums can be chewed.
- Sucking Cardamom can help treat a sore throat, a congested respiratory tract, painful teeth, bad breath, and gas filled stomach, and pulmonary tuberculosis, inflammation of eyelids, lung congestion and digestive disorders.
- Cardamom is also used to develop an antidote for venom from snake and scorpion. In the past, people used Cardamom as deodorant and breath fresheners.
- Regular consumption of Cardamom lowers the risk of heart disease risks and cholesterol levels.
- Uganda Crop Industries has taken the lead in establishing a Cardamom and spices industry in Uganda. The Cardamom plant flourishes under Ugandan conditions, and produces high yields and a top-grade final product with elevated concentrations of flavour, aroma and essential oils