Cardamom (Small)

Common Name: Small Cardamom
Indian Name of Spice:

  • Hindi: Chhoti Elaichi

  • Bengali: Chhoti Elachi

  • Gujarati: Elaychi

  • Kannada: Yelakki

  • Kashmiri: Aalbuduaa’l

  • Malayalam: Elathari

  • Marathi: Velchil

  • Oriya: Alaichi

  • Punjabi: Elaychi

  • Sanskrit: Ela

  • Tamil: Yelakkai / Elakkai

  • Telugu: Yealak-Kayulu / Elakkayi

  • Urdu: Ilaychi

Foreign Names:

  • Spanish: Cardamomo

  • French: Cardamome

  • German: Kardamom

  • Swedish: Kardemumma

  • Arabic: Hal

  • Dutch: Kardemom

  • Italian: Cardamomo

  • Portuguese: Cardamomo

  • Russian: Kardamon

  • Japanese: Karudamon

  • Chinese: Pai-tou-k’ou

Botanical Name

Elettaria cardamomum Maton

Family

Zingiberaceae

Commercial Part

Fruit (Capsule)

Climatic Requirements for Cultivation

  • Altitude: 600 – 1500 meters above mean sea level

  • Temperature: 10°C to 35°C

  • Rainfall: 1500–4000 mm annually (well-distributed)

  • Humidity: High (70–90%)

  • Soil: Deep, loamy, well-drained forest soils rich in organic matter

  • Shade: Requires partial shade (under tree canopy)

  • Best Season of Planting: May to June in South India

Origin and Distribution

Originally native to the Western Ghats of Southern India. Now also cultivated commercially in Guatemala (largest exporter), and on a smaller scale in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Vietnam, Laos, and Papua New Guinea.

Major Growing Areas in India

  • Kerala: Idukki, Wayanad

  • Karnataka: Kodagu (Coorg), Chikkamagaluru, Hassan

  • Tamil Nadu: Nilgiris, Dindigul

Popular Varieties

  • Malabar – Prostrate panicles, smaller capsules

  • Mysore – Erect panicles, larger ovoid capsules

  • Vazhukka – Semi-erect panicles, hybrid of Malabar and Mysore

  • CL 685, PV 1, SKP 14, NJK 19 – Improved high-yielding cultivars released by research institutions

Important Uses

  • Culinary:

    • Flavouring in sweets, curries, and rice dishes (biryani)

    • Used in baking and confectionery (notably in Scandinavian countries)

    • Essential ingredient in spice blends (e.g., garam masala, curry powders)

  • Beverage:

    • Essential in "Gahwa" (Arabic cardamom coffee)

    • Used in Indian tea (chai masala)

  • Industrial:

    • Cardamom oil and oleoresin used in food processing, liquors, and perfumery

    • Employed in Ayurvedic, Unani, and traditional medicines