What is Cardamom?
Cardamom is the name for a plant species and its seeds which is native to India and Southeast Asia. Cardamom belongs to the family Zingiberaceae. True cardamom is classified as Elettaria cardamomum. It grows to about 10 feet (3m) in height. Cardamom has large leaves and white flowers with blue stripes and yellow borders. The fruit is a small capsule with 8 to 16 brown seeds. The seeds are used as a spice and the plant itself is a perennial herb. It has a fleshy and thick rootstock with flowering stems that extend 6 to 12 feet (1.83 to 3.6m) high.