Herbs And Spices

Krishna Moorthy highlights the importance of commonly used spices and herbs such as cardamom, clove and coriander that help to prevent or treat many an ailment.

- Krishna Moorthy

Cardamom

Cardamom is next only to pepper, the king of spices, in terms of importance. Cardamom grows as a perennial herb with large pale green leaves and a green yellowing fruit with seeds inside. When dried these seeds inside the pods have a black and brown colour. The dried fruit or pod constitutes the drug or spice. It has a pleasant unique aroma and characteristic taste, which though sweet, is slightly pungent. Cardamom is a native of the Kerala coast, and is also grown in the neighbouring areas of Mysore and Coorg. This spice was known outside India to the Greeks and Romans. Later it became a prized traded item between India and Europe. By weight, cardamom is the third costliest spice after saffron and vanilla.

The seeds contain a volatile oil, which constitutes of cineol, terpinol, terpene, boroneol, limonene and sabinene. The aroma and therapeutic properties are from this oil. Cardamom has digestive, anti-spasmodic and carminative properties. Ground cardamom seeds mixed with ginger, clove and coriander is an effective remedy against indigestion. It helps to stop belching, hiccups, vomiting and nausea. It induces perspiration and improves blood circulation. Drinking a cup of warm milk with one teaspoon of cardamom and a pinch of saffron steeped in it, before bedtime, improves blood circulation. It increases appetite too.