Cardamom

Cardamom is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera Elettaria and Amomum, both native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia, recognized by their small, triangular, spindle-shaped seed pods with a thin, papery outer shell and small black seeds; Elettaria pods are light green and smaller, while Amomum pods are dark brown and larger. The species used for cardamom are native throughout tropical and subtropical Asia, and the earliest references to the spice appear in Sumerian texts and in Ayurveda; in the 21st century it is cultivated mainly in India, Indonesia and Guatemala.