Cardamom

Cardamom, the fruits of several plants belonging to the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the order Zingiberaceae, which have an aromatic odour and a spicy taste and are used in medicine, curries, liqueurs, cattle-foods, etc. The fruit is a three-chambered capsule from a quarter of an inch to an inch in length, containing numerous angular seeds. They contain a camphor. The true officinal cardamom is that of Malabar, Elettaria Cardamomum, with the shortest capsules. In the East, cardamoms are chewed with betel.