Botanical Name: Elettaria cardamomum
Plant Part: Seeds
Extraction Method: Steam
Origin: India
Description: A perennial, reed-like herb, Cardamom grows wild and is cultivated in India and Sri Lanka. It grows up to 4 meters (13 feet) and has long, green silky blades, small yellowy flowers, with a violet tip and a large fleshy rhizome, similar to ginger. Oblong gray fruits follow the flowers, each containing many seeds.
Color: Pale yellow
Common Uses: Cardamom is particularly helpful for the digestive system. It works as a laxative and soothes colic, wind, dyspepsia and nausea, even nausea caused by pregnancy. It warms the stomach and helps with heartburn. As a massage oil or diluted in the bath, Cardamom oil can assist with: digestive system, coughs and a general tonic.
Strength of Aroma: Strong
Blends well with: Rose, Orange, Bergamot, Cinnamon, Cloves, Caraway and Cedarwood
Aromatic Scent: Cardamom essential oil is sweet, spicy and almost balsamic in fragrance.
History: Cardamom was well known in ancient times. The Egyptians used it in perfumes and incense and chewed it to whiten their teeth. The Romans used it for their stomachs when they over-indulged. The Arabs used it grounded in their coffee and It is an important ingredient in Asian cooking.
Cautions: Non-toxic, non-irritant and non-sensitizing