Cardamon - කරදමුංගු

 Cardamon

 කරදමුංගු 

Botanical names include Elettaria cardamomum (Green/True Cardamom) and Amomum subulatum(Black cardamom).

The family is Zingiberaceae.

Cardamom, known as the "queen of spices,"      is a herbaceous, perennial plant in the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family, commercially grown for its aromatic, pungent seed pods. The primary botanical name for true/green cardamom is Elettaria cardamomum, which is native to Ceylon. It is widely used in culinary, medicinal and flavouring agent. The plant grows over 6 feet tall, featuring leafy shoots and greenish-white flowers. It thrives in tropical climates and requires high humidity. The dried fruits (capsules) are harvested just before maturity, containing 15-20 small, dark, aromatic seeds. It has a warm, camphor-like aroma, containing compounds like terpinyl acetate and 1,8-cineole.           

It is used in traditional medicine for digestive health, and it possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Cardamom is a small seed pod with black seeds inside that extrude its sweet fragrance.                  

It is widely used in various meat curries and yellow rice dishes and is further utilised in making desserts or even added to our evening tea for a bit of spice.

As one of the most valued spices in the world alongside saffron and vanilla, Cardamom truly lives up to its title of 'The Queen of Spice' with its broad culinary and medicinal uses.

Calories18

Fat: 0.4 g

CHO4.0 g

Fiber1.6 g

Protein0.6 g

Potassium64.9 mg

Calcium22.2 mg

iron0.81 mg

magnesium13.3 mg

phosphorus10.3

Antimicrobial ability

Anticancer properties

Anti-inflammatory

Mitigates metabolic syndrome

Antioxidant and diuretic properties help lower blood pressure

Heart Health

Cardamom may help fight bacteria in the mouth, a common cause of bad breath, cavities and gum disease.

Liver Health

Ulcer prevention

Helps to increase airflow to your lungs and improve breathing

Nutmeg and Mace - සාදික්කා සහ වසාවාසි

Nutmeg and Mace

සාදික්කා සහ වසාවාසි

 

The botanical name is Myristica fragrans.

The family is Myristicaceae.

Nutmeg is a valuable, aromatic spice derived from the seed of a tropical evergreen tree native to Indonesia's spice islands. Used in culinary (baking, savoury dishes) and traditional medicine, it is known for its warm taste, containing active compounds like myristicin andeugenol. It is native to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas, Indonesia. Dioecious (separate male and female trees) evergreen, reaching up to 20 meters, yielding fruit for over 60 years. The fruit provides two distinct spices: the seed itself (Nutmeg) and the red, lacy, fleshy covering (Mace), It is rich in essential oils with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. The fruit, which resembles a yellow pear or apricot, splits open when ripe. The mace is removed, dried and sold separately, while the nut is dried for several weeks until the kernel rattles within the shell, which is then broken to extract the nutmeg seed. Originating from the same tree Nutmeg and Mace are siblings in the spice world, nutmeg is the oval-shaped fruit while the mace is the reddish webbing that wraps around the pit. Nutmeg and mace are perhaps most famous for their applications in desserts such as cakes and pies but also find themselves in quite a few savoury applications such as sausages or stews and are notably an essential ingredient for some seasonal Christmas beverages like eggnog.

Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) is the seed or ground spice derived from the seed of the tree species Myristica. Nutmeg contains variety of psychoactive chemicals including myristicin, elemicin, eugenol and safrole which are thought to be responsible for its psychoactive properties.

It contains;

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Vitamin E

Manganese

Magnesium

Copper

Phosphorous

Zinc

Iron

A Powerful antioxidant

Has anti-inflammatory properties

Antimicrobial properties

Boosts mood

Tamarind - සියබලා

Tamarind

සියබලා

The botanical name is Tamarindus indica. 

Indica does not mean it is native to India. 

The family is Fabaceae.

Tamarind is a long lived, slow growing, evergreen tree belonging to the Fabaceae family, native to tropical Africa and cultivated across tropics. It is known for its sweet and sour fruit pulp used in foods, beverages and traditional medicines. It reaches 15–30m in height with a dense, canopy forming, pinnate leaf structure.It is a large, spreading tree with a broad, dense crown and grey bark. It thrives in warm climates, is drought resistant and grows in various soils.The leaves are pinnately compound, meaning many small leaflets are arranged in pairs along a central stem. The flowers are small, yellow often with red or orange streaks and are produced in clusters. The fruit is a long, curved, brown, sausage shaped pod (7.5–24 cm) that does not split open. It contains 1 to 12 hard, shiny brown seeds enveloped by a fibrous, acidic edible pulp.The pulp is the key ingredient in curries, sauces, chutneys and beverages. It is used in traditional medicine for its reported laxative, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. The wood is useful in carpentry, and the tree is grown for shade and there a few of them around the Kandy lake. As kids we used to pick these pod from low lying branches but my favourite was Mee Amba.

Tamarind originated in Africa but has been cultivated in Ceylon. It is not a native plant of India. Dialium cochinchinense, the velvet tamarind, is a different species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Borneo and Indochina but may have been introduced to Ceylon from West African countries. In the wild, it is threatened by habitat loss.

Its properties include;

Vitamin C

Anti-inflammatory

A rich source of antioxidants

May have anticancer properties

May improve heart health

Protect the liver

Provides natural antimicrobial benefits

May offer anti-diabetic effects.