Exactly this romantic name is a unique spice, originally from mysterious India - cardamom. A spice is prepared from the seeds of a tropical plant that is carefully harvested and prepared in a certain way.
Cardamom is a noble spice, with which you can exclusively and only on “You” - she is the queen of spices, having tasted her taste once, the delicate spicy aroma will never be forgotten. Growing cardamom and seed extraction is a very laborious and complicated process, so the spice is expensive in the truest sense of the word.
India is not a rich country, but the government annually allocates funds to support spice producers, and research institutes are working to develop high-quality, high-quality varieties.
In ancient times, spice was available only to the highest caste and people with high incomes. Some scientists believe that cardamom was grown in the famous hanging gardens of Semiramis - the queen simply could not do without this lush and fragrant plant. Nowadays, cardamom is highly valued throughout the world as a medicine and as a spice, giving the dish an unforgettable light aroma of camphor, lemongrass and eucalyptus.
The healing properties of cardamom
In ancient India, cardamom began to be obtained as a medicinal plant before the creation of writing. According to Ayurveda, the spice acts on the human body on a subtle, psychophysical level, opens the chakras, which in turn promotes clarity and activity of the mental process, gives a feeling of lightness, harmony and unity with the world.
In the Middle Ages, cardamom was considered a panacea for almost all ailments, it was sold in pharmacies as a medicine. In ancient Greece, Egypt and Rome, cardamom was used as a perfume and smoking mixture, it was also chewed to freshen the mouth and whiten the teeth. In the modern world, cardamom is successfully used to treat colds, coughing, asthma, bronchitis, and even whooping cough. The seeds of the plant perfectly clean the gastrointestinal tract, normalizes digestion and regulates the formation of gastric juice.
Cardamom effectively neutralizes the pathogenic zone in the oral cavity, reduces toothache, refreshes breath and whitens teeth.
The smell of essential oil is used as an antidepressant, it relieves headaches, fights lethargy and apathy. Another unique property of cardamom is to eliminate poisons and toxins from the body. Just one spoonful of cardamom seeds brewed with a glass of boiling water with daily use will work as an excellent “brush” for the body.
And in ancient Arabs, cardamom was used as an aphrodisiac - various aromatic oils, perfumes and love potions were made from seeds. Modern scientists have only confirmed what the ancient Arabs only guessed - cardamom perfectly stimulates the genitals and treats sexual disorders, such as premature ejaculation and impotence.
Where to add cardamom
Despite the fact that the spice is quite expensive, it is very popular in the national cuisines of many countries of the world. Seasoning can be applied both separately and as a part of various mixtures - for example, such popular ones as a mixture of curry or garam masala. You can put a spice in a dish before its thermal processing, since neither the taste nor the beneficial properties of cardamom are lost during the cooking process. Spice helps to increase appetite and is itself quite high in calories - this is a warning for those who are currently on a diet. Fans of good coffee will certainly add cardamom to a cezve - it will not only emphasize the coffee aroma, but will also slightly smooth out the negative effect of caffeine. Also, spice can be used to flavor compotes, jelly and mousse. Eastern sweets without cardam is simply impossible to imagine.
Sausages, pastries and even tobacco are flavored with spice. Mulled wine, various cocktails, wines and liqueurs - cardamom is almost always included in their composition. And even if you add a pinch of spice into ordinary boiled milk, it will become very tasty and easily digestible.
Seasoning must be invited to the table when cooking beef and lamb, and when cooking fish cardamom is used in combination with pepper and cumin. Sauces, gravies and first courses - pea, rice soups, hodgepodge and cabbage soup will get spicy, spicy and rich taste.
For poultry dishes, cardamom is used in combination with garlic and onions - the aroma and taste are simply breathtaking. For flavoring baking spice is used along with cinnamon.
The seeds of the plant have excellent preserving properties, and therefore are simply indispensable for the preparation of various marinades and pickles.
There are a lot of recipes using cardamom, so try, experiment and enjoy your meal!
