CARDAMOM

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 Cardamom is considered to be one of the world’s oldest spices. The use of this spice dates back at least 4000 years. Ancient Egyptians used Cardamom for many medicinal purposes, as part of rituals and even for embalming. They chewed cardamom pods as a way to help keep their breath minty and to help clean their teeth. 

 The Greeks and Romans used Cardamom for its pungent aroma. It was a main ingredient in perfumes and aromatic oils. Vikings first discovered this spice during their travels and brought it back to Scandinavia. Cardamom originally came from wild plants located in the Western Ghats in Southern India, where it grows wild. 

Today it also grows in Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Indo China and Tanzania. 

 During the 19th century, plantations of cardamom were set up by British colonists and this is where much of the green and black cardamom that we use still comes from today.  

 LARGEST PRODUCERS OF CARDAMOM IN THE WORLD

 Cultivation of cardamom was introduced to Guatemala before World War I by Oscar Majus Kloeffer; today Guatemala is the world's biggest producer and exporter, followed by India and Sri Lanka; Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are the leading importers of the spice.