Cardamom (Buah Pelaga)
Latin name: Elettaria Cardamomum Maton.
Family: Zingiberaceae (Ginger Family)
Common Names: Small Cardamom, Lesser, Cardamom, True Cardamom, Malabar Cardamom, Green Cardamom.
Native to India. Cardamom is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the ginger family. Its dried fruit reffered to as the queen of spices, is one of the most exotic and highly prized spices in the world. It is found commonly in south India.
The fruit are oblong, greenish brown capsule containing 15-20 seeds attached to axial placenta. Cardamom acts as a mouth-freshener, has well established ordinary values and it is an important ingredient of garam masala, a combination spice for indian dishes.