ALLEPPEY GREEN CARDAMOM

(Registered with the GI Registry,Chennai Under class 30)

 

Description of goods:

The identity of this brand is interwoven with the geographical name Alleppey. It is because previously in the native states of Travancore and Cochin, cardamom was a monopoly of the respective Governments. The Raja of Travancore made it compulsory that all the produce shall be sold to his official who forwarded it to the main depot in Alleppey, the then most important port of Travancore. In Alleppey, the cardamom was sold in auction. The best quality (Alleppey Green) was reserved for export. It was here in Alleppey that the cardamom was processed with the help of skilled labour. They segregated the produce in such a manner that the best quality was identified and that was separated. The underlying factor is that the processing was so skilled that the attributes identified by the then yardsticks subsequently constituted the international standards too. Thus upon the quality, the name Alleppey Green which still now holds prominence is an internationally accepted grade on its own.

 

Alleppey Green is a grade name that asserts quality. The cardamom in this grade is of certain unique quality. The grade Alleppey Green mainly includes the cardamom of ƒƒ ‚'€œMysore‚'€ category grown in the ancient Travancore. This grade is unique in its colour, size, chemical constituents and oil content. Alleppey Green cardamom is the dried capsule of Elettaria cardamomum, kiln dried, having a reasonably uniform shade of green colour and 3 cornered with ribbed appearance. Superiority of Alleppey Green (cardamom oil) is its superior sensory qualities, a better total perception of the flavour, which need not necessarily, be dependant on the relative concentration of any one component. Incidentally the ƒƒ ‚'€œMysore‚'€ variety comprising the Alleppey Green is the largest selling Indian cardamom grade. Mysore (Cardamom) oil is sweet and fruity with a floral odor due to low amount of cineole and higher amount of terpinyl acetate, linalool & linalyl acetate.Cardamom belongs to the genusElettaria, and species Cardamomum (Matton). The genus name is derived from the Tamil root Elettari, meaning cardamom seeds. The genus belong to the natural order Scitaminae, family Zingiberaceae under monocotyledons with diploid chromosome number, 2n=48. The genus consists of about six species. E. cardamomum Maton or true cardamom occurs in South India and it is the only economically important species. Cardamom is the unripened fruit of the perennial Elettaria cardamomum. Enclosed in the fruit pods are, dry, brown, aromatic seeds, which are slightly pungent to taste. The genus consists of about six species only. In South India there exist mainly three varieties, Malabar, Mysore (the variety that constitutes Alleppey Green) and Vazhukka(a hybrid of the above varieties).

 

Specification :

It mainly includes the cardamom of ƒƒ ‚'€œMysore‚'€ category grown in the ancient Travancore. Alleppey Green cardamom is the dried capsule of Elettaria cardamomum, kiln dried, having a reasonably uniform shade of green colour and 3 cornered with ribbed appearance. It is cultivated in the long stretch of the Western Ghats and falling within the districts of Tirunelveli, Dindugul, Coimbatore, Nilgiris and Theni of the State of Tamil Nadu and the districts of Idukki, Palghat, Wynad and Trivandrum of the State of Kerala in India and lying within latitudes 8° N to 12° N and longitudes 74° E to 77° E.

 

ALLEPPEY GREEN CARDAMOM

 

     
1 SOIL PH 4.0 - 6.0
2

ODOUR: TASTE:

Sweet floral cool odour

Pleasant mellow flavour fruity

3 OIL: Sweet and fruity
4

PHYSICAL

CHARACTERISTICS

Green Colour Diameter 5-8 mm mature,
ribbed Three cornered oblongcapsules
5

CHLOROPHYLL

RETENTION:

High, retains chlorophyll for a long time during storage

 

 

Proof of origin: (Historical records)

Cardamom- ƒƒ ‚'€œEla‚'€ has been used as a spice in India since pre historic times. Cardamom is one of the most exotic, flamboyant and highly priced species of spice, which has an origin in the Western Ghats and a history as old as human civilization. The word cardamom vernacularly nomenclatured as Elettari and its use from the ancient time indicated the existence and presence of this spice since time immemorial. Further the presence of the word Ela in the Sanskrit scriptures crystallizes its antecedence. Almost all ancient as well as modern researches, documents, commentaries and such other works point towards the Western Ghats as the epicenter of cardamom. The present State of Kerala accounts for over 60% of the cardamom produce then and now. It is said that, nothing is more interesting than sketching the history of spices as it brings in the world history itself. The ancient scriptures of Arthashastra (3rd century), the Taitreya Samhita (of the later Vedic period-3000 BC), the Charaka Samhita (Ayurveda Text), Susrutha Samhita (1400-600 BC) among others mentions the importance of cardamom as a spice and as a medicine. The spiceencyclopedia reveals that as early as in the 4th century BC, cardamom was used in India as a medical herb and the Greeks and Romans imported it as a digestive aid. The Babylonians and Assyrians were well informed of the medicinal values of cardamom. It was an article of Greek trade during the 4th century BC and it was listed among the Indian spices liable to duty in Alexandria. The spice history and its relation to India can be sketched in different phases. During 200 BC ƒƒ ‚'€“ 1200 the Romans started sailing from Egypt to India to trade spices. In between 1200 to 1500 Europeans started exploring passages to the East Indies. During the 15th ƒƒ ‚'€“ 17th centuries the world witnessed wars for control of the spice trade. The Portuguese under Vasco-Da-Gama opened the gateway for spice trade from the west coast. Many more invaders followed. Portugal, England, Holland and others fought for monopoly. In 1658 the Dutch gained control and established exclusive trading rights from Malabar port. During the 16th -18th century the English exploration began. First the Portuguese then the Dutch and French and at last the English. In 1780 the Dutch and English fought a war over the spice trade, which the Dutch lost. All these incidents point towards the common fact that India was the abode of spices. Virtually all the cardamom that existed in the ancient era travelled from India and particularly from the southern belt and especially from Kerala. During that time the Arabs were the major traders. They were successful in trading of spices to the Mediterranean with out revealing the source of the spice. Cardamom too was no exception and even historians like Pliny thought that Cardamom originated in Arabia. However then curtains on the monopoly of the Arab trade were brought down by the discovery of sea route to India and by the landing of Portuguese. Since time immemorial Kerala has anchored the spice industry and cardamom is no difference. Kalidasa‚'€™s ƒƒ ‚'€˜Raghuvamsam‚'€™ describes the Pandya Empire that ruled South-India as a prosperous one as it was bestowed in abundance with cardamom and other spices. Linchosten in his Journal of Indian Travels (1596) describes two forms of cardamoms being used in South India. According to him, the lesser cardamom (The True Form) was grown mostly in Calicut and Cannanore and on the coast of Malabar. The writings of Ludlow (then Asst. Conservator of Forests) and Watt (1872) also describes briefly about the cardamom cultivation in South-India. Further according to Sir. William Logan through his Malabar Manual asserts cardamom indeed was grown in Malabar and it formed a very essential form of trade. It is also pointed out by him that in 1703 Sir. Hamilton had come down to Kerala and traded cardamom. By the beginning of 19th century due to rampant cultivation the terrains of Western Ghats and the portion south of Palghat Gap came to be known as cardamom hills. Apart from Malabar the Travancore Desam also contributed much in the cultivation and trade of cardamom. The Alleppey port was the main trading location. TheMadras Manuel draws references as to how cardamom was grown in the hills of Travancore. Various pacts were entered into by the then provincial rulers with the foreigners for the sale of spices. The 1761 pact by the King of Chirakkal and the 1795 pact by the ruler of Kadathanadu are examples of cardamom trading agreements. During the reign of Raja Marthandavarma, the trading of cardamom and other spices were brought under governmental control. Spices were sold in return for guns. The Travancore government even opened a department under its forest ministry in the 1800‚'€™s itself with its centre at Thodupuzha to look into cardamom cultivation and development. Later in 1869 the said department was detached from the ministry and was placed under J.D Monroe as a special department. In that period the annual production of cardamom in this region were 30,000 thulams with Rs 12 per thulam. Further in 1910, a ƒƒ ‚'€œCooperative Elam Bankƒ ‚'€ (Co-operative Cardamom Bank) was also constituted. In the post independent era, in 1963, to preserve, protect and enhance cardamom cultivation a ‚'€˜Cardamom Development and Marketing Advisory Committee‚'€™ was constituted. Subsequently in 1966 the Cardamom Board was formed and later in 1987 accepting a broader vision the board was conferred a wider ambit and was named as the Spices Board. At present as an effort to reestablish the identity of Indian spices and to get a fair share of the values realized in the spice trade, the Spices Board of India in collaboration with Spices Trading Corporation has launched ƒƒ ‚'€œFlavourit‚'€ brand of premium Indian Spices. Alleppey Green is one among in this prestigious brand.No other spice anywhere in this world might have got such protection and support as cardamom in Kerala. Cardamom is such an exotic spice that during the period of 1000 BC it was said that a hand full of cardamom worth as much as a poor mans early wages. History acclaims the origin and quality of cardamom to Kerala. Glorifying the facts today we have the best as well as the most exported quality of Green Cardamom in ALLEPPEY GREEN.

 

Methods of Production:

 

Cardamom is a shade-loving crop. It is grown extensively in the hilly regions of South India especially in Kerala, at elevations of 800-1300 m. above mean sea level as an under crop in forest lands. A warm and humid climate, loamy soils rich in organic matter, with adequate moisture and well distributed rain fall are certain basic earthly standards pre requisite for good cultivation ofcardamom. The land is prepared by removing under growths and then thinning out forest trees to give the much required shades. The Mysore variety, which basically constitutes the ALLEPPEY GREEN, is robust, 3-4m in height with lanceolate leaves, erect panicles and ovoid capsules, thrives well only under assured, well distributed rain fall conditions. The best time for planting is after the commencement of the South West monsoon.The seeds germinate after 5-7 weeks of sowing. Cardamom starts bearing capsules 2-3 years after planting the seedlings. Flowering commences mainly during April-May or some times even a bit later. It is at the maximum during May-June. The fruits mature in about 120 days after flowering. Capsules that are just short of full ripeness are harvested mainly during the months of October - November. In the peek season harvesting is carried out at an interval of 15 days, as this crop has a prolonged and extensive flowering period thereby inducing several pickings. There exist mainly two types of pickings. The first is light picking where in only mature capsules are harvested while the second is hard picking where semi-matured capsules are also removed. It is the post- harvesting techniques that form the true backbone of quality cardamom. One of the prominent post-harvesting measures is retention of green colour which is the soul of ALLEPPEY GREEN. Further, capsules after harvest are washed thoroughly in water to remove the adhering soil and other extraneous matters and then taken for drying in kilns. Curing is essential to bring down the initial moisture level of the harvested crops and also to preserve the greenness of capsules. Thus proper curing of capsules at harvest becomes very important. Generally two types of curing methods are adopted viz-natural sun drying (undesirable for cardamom) and artificial drying. Among the artificial methods pipe curing (kiln drying) is one of the best methods. Cardamom cured by sun drying or in a dryer, has to be protected from absorption of moisture, contamination with foreign odors, microorganisms and other insect infestations. Thus proper packing also becomes necessary. Subsequently the produce is graded on the basis of its colour, size, weight and chemical constituents. Some variety of cardamoms retains its green colour while some others turn to brownish and golden colours. Some others are bleached. ALLEPPEY GREEN cardamom is the dried capsule variety of Elettaria cardamomum; kiln dried having a reasonably uniform shade of green colour, three cornered and having a ribbed appearance which is a unique feature of this particular brand alone. The methods of preservation and retention of colour of the finished product are by the following method of curing and preservation:

 

 

1. By drying the cardamom immediately after harvest to retain original colour atwhich they are harvested,
2. By maintaining the room temperature in which the cardamom is stored between 40° to 50° C for the first 10-12 hours, and then to increase the temperature to 55°C for the rest of the curing period,
3. By providing proper openings for expelling the moisture from the room while uring. This is essential to retain green colour during drying,
4. Avoiding raising room temperature above 65°C in order to reduce splitting ofcapsule and loss of vital volatile cardamom oil, and
5. By the use, after polishing cured cardamom capsules, of black polythene linedgunny bags for packing and storing the cardamom in wooden boxes for betterstorage efficiency.

 

 

Uniqueness:

 

Alleppey Green Cardamom is one of the oldest, most popular and sought after cardamom from India. It is the physiologically mature unripened and dried fruit of the perennial plantElettaria cardamomum of the Mysore and vazhukka cultivars.It is cultivated in the long stretch of the Western Ghats and lying within the Districts of Tirunelveli, Dindugul, Coimbatore, Nilgiris and Theni Districts of the State of Tamil Nadu and the Districts of Idukki, Palghat, Wynad and Trivandrum Districts of the State of Kerala ,In India and lying within latitudes 8° N to 12° N and longitudes 74° to 77° E.It is having uniform shade of green colour, having minimum splits, mature, ringled, three cornered capsules, having ribbed appearance.It is also having a sweet fruity floral odour resulting in pleasant mellow flavour, attributable to the low amount of 1-8 cineole (34.2) and high amount of terpinyl acetate (34.5), Linalool (6.4) and Lynalyl acetate (3.1). Another unique feature of this grade of cardamom is its size. It stands apart from others in length (21mm) and also in size (5 ƒƒ ‚'€“ 8mm in diameter). This increases its chance of holding more oil. The volatile oil in the seeds of ALLEPPEY GREEN is much higher in percentage (7.5-11.3) when compared to the other grades. The commercially distilled oil from ALLEPPEY GREEN has a penetrating, slightly irritating, cineolic, cooling camphoraceous, disinfectant, warm, spicy, sweet, aromatic, fruity initial impact. However the oil rapidly airs ƒƒ ‚'€“ off on a smelling strip loosing its freshness and there persists no residual odour after 24 hours. Compared to other varieties though 1, 8- cineole content is low and the terpinyl acetate content comparable, the linalool and linalyl acetate is markedly higher. The combination of lower 1, 8- cineole with its harsh camphoric note and higher linalyl acetate with its sweet fruity- floral odour result in the relatively pleasant mellow flavour in the variety. Its uniqueness is also specifically attributable to the agro-climatic factors.

 

ƒƒ‚ ƒ‚ ƒ

Agro-climatic and physiographic conditions for Alleppey Green Cardamom

SOIL: TYPE  : PH

Sandy loam to clay loam 4.00-7.1 

RAINFALL MONSOON

ƒƒ

1500-3550 mm

Southwest Monsoon, from June to early

September, and Northeast Monsoon from

third week of October to the end of

November

TEMPERATURE

12-30° C

ALTITUDE

800 to 1300 meters above MSL

 

Address of the Proprietor /Producer

 

SPICES BOARD,
Ministry of Commerce and Industry,
SUGANDHA BHAVAN,
N.H Bye-Pass, P.B. No.2277
Palarivattom, Cochin 25