The seeds of cardamom are a well known spice and can be used as an ingredient in a variety of dishes. In India they are mainly used in curries, but in Europe cardemom is also used as seasoning in desserts and cakes. In the Middle East coffee and tea are drunk with cardemom. The taste and smell are very characteristic and are considered fresh-sweet. The seeds don't have a long shelf-life and should be sown as fresh as possible to grow cardamom as a houseplant. It is a tropical species that grows well in a warm place without direct sunlight. It has a thick underground rhizome that grows horizontally and produces new shoots. Therefore, it is smart to use a container that is wide, to facilitate this horizontal growth. Decorative purple-white flowers grow near the ground and produce green-yellow fruits with 10-15 seeds after pollination (by bees in the wild). If the plant is not flowering yet, the leaves can be used to cook with and to make a thirst-quenching drink by adding them to iced water.
Sowing description:
Soak the seeds for 24 hours in luke warm water. Then sow them superficially in sowing mix, keep the soil moist and cover with plastic foil or glass. Keep at 25-30dgC. Germination can occur irregularly after 3-12 weeks.
