Indian Name: Badi Elaichi or Kali Elaichi
Scientific Name: Amomum subulatum

Other Names

Spanish: Cardamomo negro
French: Cardamome noir, Cardamome du Népal
German: Nepal-Cardamom, Schwarzer Cardamom
Swedish:
Arabic:Hal aswad
Dutch: Zwarte kardemom
Italian: Cardamomo nero
Portuguese:
Russian:
Japanese: Sōka, Soka (Amomum tsao-ko)
Chinese: Xiang dou kou; Cao guo, Tsao kuo (Amomum tsao-ko)

Several species of the genus Amomum are distri­buted all over the moun­tainous area from the Hima­layas to Southern China. Further­more, some Afri­can

card­amoms (genus Afra­momum, in Mada­gascar, Somalia and Cameroon; an­other member of this genus is the pungent West African spice grains of para­dise)

have a similar taste and appear sporadi­cally on the Western market.

A. subulatum is native to the Eastern Himalayas; the main production regions are Eastern Nepal, India (mostly in the tiny union state Sikkim) and Bhutan. More

than 50% of the world’s harvest are produced in India.

The seeds contain 3% of an essential oil, which is dominated by 1,8-cineol (typically 70%). Smaller and variable amounts of α-terpinyl acetate, limonene,

terpinene, terpineol and sabinene have also been reported (Phytochemistry, 9, 665, 1970)

The pericarp contains small amount (0.2%) of essential oil, with a much reduced 1,8-cineol fraction compared to the seed oil. On the other hands, it ontains a few

percent of sesquiterpenoids (spathulenol, germ­acrene D, β-selinene). The brown colour of the pericarp is attributed to 0.1% antho­cyanines (cyanidin-3-

glucosid, cyanidin-3,5-diglucosid); similar compounds make for the red colour of some onion cultivars.

Black cardamom is dried over an open fire creating a distinct smoky aroma and flavor. This spice also has notes of resin and camphor, as well as menthol, a slightly

minty aroma that provides balance to an otherwise funky flavor. These intense, heady notes put black cardamom in the “warming” spice category, along with

black pepper, cloves, and chiles.