Cardamom is one of the finest spices and also one of the most expensive. From Dioscorides and Pliny we know that it was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. In the Middle Ages people believed cardamom herb had medicinal properties that would heal practically every disease.
It is the seeds of this perennial plant that are used as a spice. It is native to southern India and Sri Lanka and also raised nowadays in Central America, particularly in Guatemala. Cardamom is used mostly by the peoples who grow it as is also the case with many other herbs and spices.
The first European to see the tree growing in its native land was the Venetian merchant Marco Polo in the 13th century. When Vasco da Gama discovered the Molucca Islands the Arabian monopoly was replaced by the Portuguese and in the 17th century by the Dutch. Up until the turn of the 18th century the entire world was supplied with cloves only from the Moluccas.
The seeds of rocket are rich in oil (30%) and this is the main reason for which it is raised nowadays. The oil is obtained by pressing; it has a golden yellow colour and after being stored for several months loses its sharp, biting quality.
The terminal inflorescences with unopened buds are harvested by hand, using ladders, and then dried in the sun, which turns them a dark colour.
Cloves contain a large quantity of an essential oil that is very aromatic but loses its aroma with long storage. A good way of testing the quality is to put the spice in water; if it is of good quality it will sink or else float upright, stale cloves float flat on the surface. They are used either whole or ground to flavour sweet dishes and pastries, also in meat dishes, marinated fish. The oil has a medicinal value in that it stimulates the appetite and aids digestion; because of its high content of eugenol, it also has an antiseptic effect.
It is the seeds of this perennial plant that are used as a spice. It is native to southern India and Sri Lanka and also raised nowadays in Central America, particularly in Guatemala. Cardamom is used mostly by the peoples who grow it as is also the case with many other herbs and spices.
The first European to see the tree growing in its native land was the Venetian merchant Marco Polo in the 13th century. When Vasco da Gama discovered the Molucca Islands the Arabian monopoly was replaced by the Portuguese and in the 17th century by the Dutch. Up until the turn of the 18th century the entire world was supplied with cloves only from the Moluccas.
The seeds of rocket are rich in oil (30%) and this is the main reason for which it is raised nowadays. The oil is obtained by pressing; it has a golden yellow colour and after being stored for several months loses its sharp, biting quality.
The terminal inflorescences with unopened buds are harvested by hand, using ladders, and then dried in the sun, which turns them a dark colour.
Cloves contain a large quantity of an essential oil that is very aromatic but loses its aroma with long storage. A good way of testing the quality is to put the spice in water; if it is of good quality it will sink or else float upright, stale cloves float flat on the surface. They are used either whole or ground to flavour sweet dishes and pastries, also in meat dishes, marinated fish. The oil has a medicinal value in that it stimulates the appetite and aids digestion; because of its high content of eugenol, it also has an antiseptic effect.
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