Cardamom is an Indian spice, cousin of ginger, which has properties such as reducing bad breath, improving digestion and functioning as an aphrodisiac food. It is a berry that contains small seeds inside, but it can also be found in powder form.
The scientific name for cardamom is Elletaria cardamomum. It has a fragrant and burning flavor and can be used in cooking in both sweet and savory dishes.
Benefits and what it is for
Regular consumption of cardamom brings several health benefits, such as:
- Fight bad breath, as it has antiseptic action inside the mouth; Take away hunger and fight constipation, as it is rich in fibers; Relax your stomach and reduce the pain of gastritis, in addition to having antiseptic properties; Help in digestion and fight gases, because they are rich in essential oils, such as limonene; fight sickness and vomiting; release phlegm and fight colds and flu, for having expectorant action.
Cardamom has these benefits because it is rich in essential oils and antioxidants, having analgesic, antiseptic, digestive and expectorant properties.
How to use cardamom
Cardamom can be used in sweet and savory recipes, as a substitute for garlic in rice stew or added to sweets like puddings and jams.
You can also flavor homemade bread, put in meat sauce, puddings, sweets, fruit salads, ice cream and liqueurs, for example.
The best way to take advantage of cardamom is to open the pods at the time of use, remove the beans and grind or knead. Within each pod there are about 10 to 20 seeds.
Cardamom recipes
Coffee with cardamom
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon of freshly ground coffee, with very fine grind, like talcum powder1 pinch of cardamom180 ml of cold water
How to prepare:
Place ground coffee, cardamom and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat and let the coffee go down, then return to the heat and bring to a boil again, and then remove from the heat to lower, and then return to the heat to raise the boil for the 3rd time, and then remove the foam that formed on top of coffee. Then put the coffee in a cup and drink it hot.
Cardamom tea
- Tea against gases: Add 20 g of cardamom in a cup of boiling water and drink after meals. Tea against intestinal colic: Add 10 g of seeds in 1 liter of water. Strain and drink warm.
The cardamom belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, a shrub about 1 and 1.50 meters high, with large leaves, white flowers and green fruits, originating in India.
