Cardamom

Known as the 'Queen of Spices', Cardamom is among the costliest spices. In India cardamom is grown in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It is the dried fruit of a herbaceous perennial plant. Warm humid climate, loamy soil rich in organic matter, distributed rainfall and special cultivation and processing methods all combine to make Indian cardamom truly unique-in aroma, flavour, size and colour. It has well established culinary values, and it is used in a wide range of sweets and confectionery. Cardamom is of two types- Large Cardamom and Small Cardamom. India is one of the main producers of the highly aromatic fruit, large cardamom whose main variety is the 'Malabar Cardamom'. Three grades of small Cardamom are in great demand in the international markets- Allepy Green Extra Bold (AGEB), Allepy Green Bold (AGB) and Allepy Green Superior (AGS). Cardamom is also used in the field of medicines , spices and perfumes and also as a flavourant as it gives a fiery pungency to all alcohols.