Black gold of Nepal

Large cardamom (Amomum subulatom Roxb.) or Big Cardamom or Large Cardamom or Nepal Cardamom is one of the old spices indigenous to the Eastern Himalayas. It comes under the family Zingiberaceae to which ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) and small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) belong to. It is used as a spice and in several ayurvedic preparations. It contains 2 to 3% of essential oil and possesses medicinal properties like carminative, stomachic, diuretic, cardiac stimulant, ant emetic etc.

Large cardamom has a pleasant aromatic odour, due to which it is extensively used for flavoring vegetables and many food preparations in Indian and mughlai dishes. It is also used as an essential ingredient in mixed spices preparation. Apart from aroma, large cardamom also has medicinal value. The decoction of seeds is used as a gargle in infection of teeth and gums. Large cardamom seeds are considered as an antidote to either snake venom or scorpion venom, and it is also reported that large cardamom seeds are used as preventive as well as curative measure for throat troubles, congestion of lungs, inflammation of eyelids, digestive disorders and in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.

History shows that the large cardamom was introduced in Ilam district of Nepal during 1865 by the Nepalese laborers who went to Sikkim for seasonal work. However, commercial cultivation started in Ilam much later in 1953. The establishment of Cardamom Development Centre at Fikkal in this district in 1975 paved the way for the development of this crop.

Till now large cardamom is grown only in three countries namely, India, Nepal and Bhutan. In Nepal, the large cardamom could be grown in sloppy, moist and shade lands in mid hill regions. Till date, the cardamom growing districts in Nepal are around 37 and out of them, Taplejung, Ilam, Sankhuwasabha, Panchthar, Bhojpur, Dhankuta and Terhathum districts are the major.

For the Nepalese economy, large cardamom has provided the means of earning to a large number of farmers, rural households, traders and exporters who are involved from production, processing, marketing to export. There are farmers cultivating in their own lands and serve as seasonal workers in the lands of large farmers. This sector is therefore a source of generating much needed self and outside employment in the rural areas. As such a large number of personnel including workers and farmers are dependent on this sector. It is estimated that more than 25,000 farm households are involved in its farming in Ilam, Panchthar and Taplejung districts alone, and as many as 67,000 households in all Nepal. The sector generates employment for minimum of 80-100 days per hectare and more than one million labour days in total per year. Farm operations like, planting, harvesting, and processing are labour intensive. In addition, a significant number of people find employment in other elements of the total supply chain. They cover transporting (include mules, horses, trucks and tractors) the produce to the traders, cleaning, grading, packaging, loading/unloading, etc. With the promotion of export this sector could generate even larger employment opportunities.
Another highly positive benefit from the large cardamom is its ability to protect the environment. The plants maintain permanent green cover on forest floor that prevents soil erosion and does not disturb the fragile eco-system. It is ecologically adapted to farming on mountain slopes.

Large cardamom grows well in forest loamy soils with gentle to medium slopes. Water logged condition is detrimental to the growth of the plants. It performs well under shade. Utis (Alnus nepalensis) is the most common and preferred shade tree for large cardamom.

Composition of large cardamom
The large cardamom starts fruiting after 3-4 years of plantation. The plants start to fruit and the fruits mature in 4-5 months. A dried fruit is 2-3 cm long and 1.2-1.7 cm broad. The fruit contains 30-50 dark colored seeds which are embeded in a soft jelly like sugary pulp. The average yield of large cardamom 400 kg per hectare.

The capsule comprises of 70% seeds and 30% skin. When ripe and fresh, the moisture content of the fruit capsule is around 80% which has to be dried below 12% to obtain its preservation. The dried fruit in general contains- moisture 8.49%, Volatile oil upto 4.0%, Protein 6.0%, Starch 43.21%, total ether extract 5.31% and total ash 4.0%.

The seeds of large cardamom contain upto 4.0% of an essential oil, which is dominated by 1,8-cineol (more than 70%). Smaller and variable amounts of limonene, terpinene, terpineol, terpinyl acetate and sabinene have also been reported. In the essential oil, the fresh and aromatic aroma with distinct camphory note is found. If the product has been dried in traditional dryers over open flames, the spice also acquires a strong smoky flavor This volatile oil fraction can be obtained by steam distillation which is a dark-brown liquid with camphor note.