Cardamom in Perfumery: The Fresh and Aromatic Spice

History and Legend

Latin name of cardamom: Eletarria cardamomum
Family: Zingiberaceae

Legend has it that Cleopatra, very much in love with Mark Antony, burned cardamom perfumes before her romantic rendezvous. This spice, which is the queen of spices alongside the king pepper, often has its name distorted; it is cardamom and not cardamon.

Cardamom is the typical spice of Indian cuisine; it enters into the composition of a Masala curry and chai tea. It should be noted that it is one of the most expensive spices after saffron and vanilla. Reduced to powder, it loses its fragrance very quickly.

Botany and Origin

It is a robust, perennial, herbaceous plant, 2 to 5 meters high, which grows at medium altitude in humid tropical forests. It is a plant with thick rhizomes that produce white flowers veined with red; cardamom is a dry capsule type fruit.

Each capsule contains 10 to 20 black and fragrant angular seeds. The fruits are picked by hand in India during the period from September to December. Cardamom belongs to the same botanical family as turmeric and ginger.

Varieties and Provenance

There are different varieties of cardamom: white, green, beige, or brown. The color will vary according to the drying technique. It originates mainly from India and Sri Lanka but is also cultivated in Guatemala, which is the world’s leading exporter of these precious green capsules, as well as in Tanzania, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

It is green, then turns yellow and begins to detach; it is then time to harvest it.

There is another quality: black or brown cardamom. It is a cousin of green cardamom, but larger, rougher, with a more powerful, smokier scent, and more used in savory preparations.

Processing and Extraction

In order to obtain cardamom essential oil, cardamom seeds are flattened and then steam distilled for 5 hours before a purification and agitation phase. An evaluation follows before exportation. It is a fairly expensive spice because its production requires a very substantial amount of labor.

Olfactory Description: Fresh and Camphorated Spice

It is a perfume that I particularly appreciate, which is classified as fresh spices, slightly camphorated, very aromatic with a eucalyptus and rosemary effect, with a hint of pepper and lemon. It is therefore both spicy and aromatic.

It goes well with chocolate, coffee, and tea notes and with all other spices. It also blends very well with all other citrus fruits due to its extremely invigorating, uplifting citrus facet.

Guatemalan cardamom is more appreciated in perfumery than Indian cardamom because it is purer and more uplifting, thus more appreciated by perfumers.

Other fresh spices:

• Coriander seed
• Pink pepper
• Timut pepper
• Ginger
• Juniper berries

Use in Perfumery

It suits all olfactory families and especially eaux de Cologne. It is used in both feminine and masculine perfumes; it blends particularly well with the woody family, the chypre family, and the oriental family.

In the Vanilla Collection by Delacourte Paris, Vangelis contains many spices (clove, pepper, cinnamon) including cardamom, a nod to the chai drink. A perfume with an assertive character combining the strength of spices with woods (patchouli, vetiver, cedar, sandalwood) and the tenderness of vanilla. It is a spicy vanilla.

Virtues and Benefits

The Egyptians chewed it to whiten teeth and freshen breath. It possesses digestive and stimulating virtues. It is also said to be effective against sore throats and coughs. Cardamom calms nausea and kidney pain. It also flavors certain cigarettes.

It is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine. It also flavors Lebanese coffee and oriental desserts. In Scandinavia, it flavors cakes, mulled wines, pies, and cakes as well as gingerbread. The leaf can also be used to flavor dishes of Indian origin.

Perfumes Containing Cardamom

It is a spicy note particularly appreciated by the great perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena. Originally a more masculine note than feminine, we see it more and more in feminine perfumes, but especially more and more in so-called confidential niche perfumery (cf. Confidential or niche perfumery).

• Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert by Bulgari
• Déclaration by Cartier
• Juniper Sling by Penhaligon’s
• Intoxicated by Kilian
• Mimosa & Cardamom by Jo Malone
• Kenzo Jungle for men and women by Kenzo
• Dzongkha by L’Artisan Parfumeur
• Alien by Mugler
• 1969 Parfum by Histoires de Parfums
• Voyage by Hermès
• Vangelis by Delacourte Paris