Native to Southeast Asia, Cardamom is added to traditional Indian sweets and teas for its cool, minty aroma and flavour. Add to bread, smoothies, meats, and salads to enhance flavour. Valued worldwide as a spice, Cardamom is an essential oil that may also prove beneficial in many other ways.
Only use diluted. Take no more than one drop per day. Keep out of reach of children. Keep out of eyes and mucosa.
doTERRA Air™ (15 ml), doTERRA Air™ Vapour Stick, doTERRA Air™ Drops, TriEase™ Softgels, Lavender (15 ml), Melaleuca (15 ml), PB Assist™
Cardamom is grown in both India and Guatemala. The plant grows well in both locations and climates. In India cardamom is used primarily for the local spice industry, whereas Guatemala's supply is typically exported.
Cardamom is a member of the ginger family. It grows best in the shade and the average cardamom plant lives seven years. It generally starts to bear fruit two to three years after planting and produces 10 to 20 cardamom seeds in each seedpod. Normally, it is harvested from September - February. Most cardamom is sold to the spice market.
The essential oil comes from the cardamom seeds inside the seedpods. The outer shell of the pod is green, thin, and papery. Inside are the seeds, which are small and black. They are dried for about 36 hours before being sold—either as a spice or for distillation. After drying, the cardamom pods are only a fifth of their fresh weight. The seeds are then steam-distilled for several hours to produce the essential oil.
As part of mutually beneficial sourcing initiatives, doTERRA works to support farmers, producers and distillers through training and financial support. Here's how this affects cardamom farmers in Guatemala:
You will find your Quality ID on the bottom of doTERRA single essential oil bottles purchased after May 2016. The Quality ID will contain a series of six or seven numbers and one letter.