Cardamom is an Indian seasoning, cousin of ginger, which has properties like diminishing bad breath, improving digestion and serving as an aphrodisiac food. It is a berry that contains small seeds in its interior, but can also be found in the form of powder.
The scientific name of the cardamom is Elletaria cardamomum. It has a fragrant and burnt flavor and can be used in cooking in both sweet and savory dishes.
Benefits and what is it for?
The 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 against constipation, as it is rich in fiber;
- Relax the stomach and reduce the pain of gastritis, in addition to having antiseptic properties;
- Helping in digestion and fighting the gases, being rich in essential oils, such as limonene;
- Fight sickness and vomiting;
- Release the phlegm and fight colds and flu, by 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 salty recipes as a substitute for garlic in the rice stir fry or added in candies such as puddings and jellies.
You can also aromatize the homemade bread, put in the sauce of the meat, puddings, sweets, fruit salads, ice cream and liqueurs, for example.
The best way to enjoy the cardamom is to open the pods when it is time to use, remove the grains and grind or knead. Within each pod there are about 10 to 20 seedlings.
Cardamom recipes
Coffee with cardamom
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon of freshly ground coffee, with very fine grind, such as talcum powder
- 1 pinch of cardamom
- 180 ml cold water
How to prepare:
Put the ground coffee, cardamom and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the coffee to lower, then return to the heat and boil again, then remove from heat to lower, and then return to the fire to raise boiling for the 3rd time, and then remove the foam that formed over of coffee. Then place the coffee in a cup and take it still hot.
Cardamom tea
- Tea against gases: Add 20 g of cardamom in a cup of boiling water and drink after meals.
- Tea against intestinal cramps: Add 10 g of seeds in 1 liter of water. Coar and warm drink.
The cardamom is of the family Zingiberaceae, a shrub about 1 and 1.50 meters high, with large leaves, white flowers and green fruits, originating in India.
