Cardamom Absolute

Latin name :

Elettaria cardamomum (L) Maton

Botanical profile :

Cardamom comes from various species of the Zingiberaceae family and the genus Elettaria.

Geographic origin :

Originally from South East Asia, cardamom is produced in India (historical producer), Guatemala (main producer by volume- Approx. 90% of the market), Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia

Chemotypes :

There are two main varieties of Elettaria cardamomum:
Elettaria cardamomum var major.
Elettaria cardamomum var minor.
These varieties are mainly distinguished by the size of their fruits. However, these two varieties are interfertile, therefore, time and conditions of culture allowed the multiplication of cardamom varieties (to the detriment of fruit production yield).
The name ''cardamom '' is also attributed to many varieties of the genus Amomum, although this appellation is not correct from a botanical point of view.
Guatemalan cardamom is more minty and peppery while the Sri Lanka cardamom is more citral-citronella.

Extraction process :

Cardamom is an herbaceous plant with rhizomes. It is cultivated between 600 and 1200m of altitude and generally prefers temperate climates. The plantation is made in July for a harvest in winter, at the beginning of spring, when the capsules are very green and the fruits are black. The harvest is done manually before letting the capsules dry. This drying stage is complex because it allows the development of several aromatic compounds, but it also allows the evaporation of some of the most volatile compounds. It is therefore necessary to be very careful.
Once dried the capsules are husked to preserve only the seeds. These are then crushed to facilitate the various processes leading to the different by-products obtained from cardamom.
In perfumery it is possible to obtain several types of product: a Cardamom EO; a Cardamom Absolute; an Cardamom oleoresin as well as a Cardamom CO₂ extract.
To obtain cardamom, it's necessary to extract the crushed seeds with a volatile solvent (usually Hexane). On prolonged contact with the solvent, the solvent absorbs the volatile compound. It is then evaporated to obtain a concrete. The concrete is then washed with alcohol to precipitate the insoluble compounds. After filtration and evaporation of the alcohol, the absolute is obtained. Yield of approx 5%.
The other types of extraction are explained in the corresponding ingredients page.

Major Components :

D-Limonene (35-40%)
Eucalyptol (20-25%)
Terpinolene (≈10%)
Myrcene (≈7%)