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

Solid Perfume-Making

with Lakeja Baylor

* New Date *

Saturday, October 4th, 4-5 pm

In this workshop you will be learning how to make your our own solid perfumes. Combining beeswax, botanically infused oils, and essential oils you will make & take home 2 differently scented solid perfumes.

Register Here

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Fall Ayurveda Gathering & Ghee-making

with Kimber Hyatt

12-1:30pm, Saturday October 11th

Let’s have tea & discuss this most beautiful season of transition, the ups & downs that come with it.

Kimber will share Ayurveda’s perspective & some beautiful ways to stay grounded, nourished, healthy & feeling like your best self as the season brings about its changes.

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Community Medicine Making Circles

withJen Halima  

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Next one: October 25th

 Roots & Broth Blends

Meet the autumn root harvest and the many ways it can be incorporated into healing and immune supporting remedies through infusions into tinctures, cough syrups, teas and food.   We will learn how to make a cough syrup and prepare an herbal broth bags for you to take home.

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Plant Allies for Stress, Depression, and Fatigue

with Kat Maier

Saturday January 31st, 2026, 10am – 5pm

In Chinese medicine, the season of winter is a time of hibernation and restoration. This applies not just for the previous year but, in our culture, for the stress of holidays and all that is happening in our world now. This class will share ancient as well as new medicines for restoring our balance and providing deep resilience for the body, mind, and soul. The day will also acknowledge February 1, known as Candlemas, a Celtic celebration honoring the return of light. We will learn practical and easy-to-follow teas and recipes to strengthen our immunity for the times that lie ahead.
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Sunday Morning Tea Ceremonies

with Silvy Franco

Join Silvy for a meditative ceremony to commune with Camelia sinensis. Come for quiet reflection as you sip on several cups of tea following Japanese tradition. Ceremony begins at 9:30 am and goes for an hour. Pre-registration is required.

Suggested Donation: $25

Register Here