Tonic Herb of the Month

Cardamom

(Elettaria cardamomum)

Cardamom is a well known and loved spice from the Indian subcontinent, often used as an ingredient in chai tea and used to flavor curries, desserts, and liqueurs. In Egypt and the Middle East, cardamom is ground and put into coffee to offset the acidic effects of coffee in the body (and it adds a delicious flavor)!


Family: Zingiberaceae (Ginger family)

Parts Used: dried ripe seeds

Energetics: pungent, aromatic, warming, drying

Actions: digestive stimulant, expectorant, carminative, diaphoretic

Uses:  Excerpted from The Yoga of Herbs by Dr. Frawley & Dr. Lad:

“Cardamom is one of the best & safest digestive stimulants. It awakens the spleen, stimulates samana vayu (similar to the solar plexus), enkindles Agni (the digestive fire) and removes Kapha (excess water & mucus) from the stomach & lungs. It stimulates the mind and heart and gives clarity and joy. Added to milk it neutralizes its mucus forming properties and it detoxifies cafein in coffee. Its quality is sattvic and its particularly good for opening and soothing the flow of the pranas in the body.” (p.109)

The stand-out characteristic of cardamom for me is its ability to break up. I think of cardamom for any condition involving too much mucus, whether in the lungs, sinuses or GI tract. I love adding cardamom to milk, yogurt or ice cream to “warm” the cold nature of the dairy and neutralize its mucus-forming tendencies.

Indications: nervous digestive upset in children, belching, flatulence, indigestion (especially when dairy leads to digestive upset), excessive mucus production, wet/boggy coughs

Description: excerpted from A Modern Herbal by Maude Grieve:

“The large perennial herb. yielding Cardamom seeds is known in its own country as ‘Elattari’ or ‘Ilachi,’ while ‘Cardamomum’ was the name by which some Indian spice was known in classical times.It has a large, fleshy rhizome, and the alternate, lanceolate leaves are blades from 1 to 2 1/2 feet long, smooth and dark green above, pale, glaucous green and finely silky beneath. The flowering stems spread horizontally near the ground, from a few inches to 2 feet long, and bear small, loose racemes, the small flowers being usually yellowish, with a violet lip. The fruits are from 2/5 to 4/5 of an inch long, ovoid or oblong, bluntly triangular in section, shortly beaked at the apex, pale yellowish grey in colour, plump, and nearly smooth. They are three-celled, and contain in each cell two rows of small seeds of a dark, reddish-brown colour.” (p.159)

Contraindications: large amounts of cardamom can aggravate ulcers or other excess Pitta conditions.

Recipe: Baked Pears with Cardamom 


Ingredients:
1/2 tsp cardamom
2 whole pears
1/2 cup water

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Lay pears down on a baking dish.
3. Coat the bottom of the dish with water.
4. Sprinkle the pears with cardamom.
5. Bake at 350 til tender.

source: http://www.joyfulbelly.com
Check out this website for many wonderful Ayurvedic recipes! You can type cardamom into the search field to see a full list of recipes using this incredible spice.

**This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease**

UPCOMING EVENTS

Now Enrolling:

Registration for 2025 Foundational Herbology is Now Open

This 9-Month In-Person Program begins March 15th. We meet monthly throughout the seasons to explore the elements, body systems, plants and medicine-making.

Early Bird Registration lasts until February 1st

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March 9th ~ Infused Culinary Oils & Butters

As part of Bailey’s ongoing Food as Medicine Series, this class will focus on how to enhance the flavor and vitality of your meals with infused olive oil and butter/ghee.

3 pm- 5 pm

Also in this series: Freshly Foraged Herbal Pestos Dips & Vinegars on May 4th

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April 7th~ Herbs to Stay Moist & Juicy

Thoughts on Aging into a Fabulous Vintage

with Margi Flint

Margi will be sticking around for an extra day to share her wisdom on herbs that can help us all age with grace and vitality, and stay moist and juicy inside and out. Afterall, what is aging if not a process of becoming brittle, stiff and dry?

Herbs for building your own stem cells begins the journey.  Herbs for libido and stamina for all will be shared. We will cover brain, muscles, liver, skin, bone marrow, prostate and vaginal well-being.

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Nourishingly Divergent

This four-part series will explore the various forms of being Neurodivergent (ADHD, Autism spectrum, OCD and more) through the lens of African, Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic herbalism. We will learn how to support overall brain health by supporting gut function and deal with allergies and inflammation. We will explore whole nutrition, herbal remedies, and lifestyle practices to address neurodiverse symptomology in a holistic fashion.

Wednesdays 6-8pm

April 9-30th

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Community Medicine Making Circles

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with Jen Halima

Come create botanical medicine and explore the foundations of herbalism. Build a home apothecary from locally grown herbs. You will make herbal oils, syrups, tea blends, tonics, nourishing treats and more! And you’ll get to take something home that we make together.

6 Classes, Starting April 26th

$45 per class or  $225 for the series (one class free)

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SUNDAY MORNING TEA CEREMONIES:

with Silvy Franco

Join Silvy for a meditative ceremony to commune with Camelia sinensis. Ceremony begins at 10:00 am and goes for an hour. Pre-registration is required. Suggested Donation: $20

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