ABSTRACT
Large cardamom (L. cardamom) or Nepal cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.) is a spice cultivated in the sub-Himalayan region of north-eastern India, especially in Sikkim since time immemorial. In the past the aboriginal inhabitants of Sikkim, Lepchas, collected capsules of large cardamom from natural forest, but later on these forests passed into village ownership and the villagers started cultivation of large cardamom. The presence of wild species, locally known as churumpa, and the variability within the cultivated species supports the view of its origin in Sikkim (Subba, 1984). Later the cultivation has spread to northern Uttar Pradesh, north-eastern States of India (Arunachal Pradesh, Mizorum and Manipur), Nepal and Bhutan. Sikkim is the largest producer of large cardamom; the annual production in India is about 3500-4000 mt of cured L. cardamom. The average productivity is 100-150 kg/ha, but in wellmaintained plantations the productivity reaches 1000-2000 kg/ha. Nepal and Bhutan are the other two countries cultivating this crop with an annual production of about 1500 mt. This spice is used in Ayurvedic preparation in India as mentioned by Susruta in the sixth century BC and also known among Greeks and Romans as Amomum (Ridley, 1912). L. cardamom contains ca.1.98-2.67 per cent volatile oil and is mainly used in flavouring food products (Gupta et al., 1984). The seeds also possess certain medicinal properties, as carminative, stomachic, diuretic, cardiac stimulant, antiemetic and are a remedy for throat and respiratory troubles (Singh et al., 1978).
