Cardamom
Cardamom, the “queen of spices”, is the world’s third most expensive spice after saffron and vanilla. The first records of its use date back to ancient Sri Lanka, where even today it is an important component of Ayurvedic medicine.
Today the largest producer is Guatemala with India second. Arab countries consume more than half of worldwide production of cardamom, using it mainly for flavouring coffee.
There are two types: , green or true cardamom (the best quality); and), although both are in the ginger family. These two types of cardamom were distinguished in the 4th century BCE by Theophrastus, the Greek father of botany.
