Cardamom – The Mucus Remover
October 13, 2022 | Written by Leticia Padmasri
Cardamom is an aromatic plant from the ginger family. It has a soothing aroma and a unique and strong taste. You will find that cardamom is one of the most expensive spices in the world, but because it has a strong taste, a little bit goes a long way.
The name I chose for cardamom is not attractive at all! Especially if all you read is mucus! But focus on the second part of the name: remover. Yep! Cardamom is an antidote to foods that increase mucus formation in the body such as sugar, dairy, bananas, AND ice cream… it removes the excess mucus from the body.
Let’s look at its qualities, tastes, and actions it has on the body and mind and learn more about how to benefit from it in our daily lives.
Cardamom & Ayurveda
Cardamom is very light, cleansing, and sattvic. Its taste (rasa) is pungent and sweet. Its post-digestive effect (vipaka) is also sweet and its thermal action (virya) in the body is slightly warming.
Based on its energetics, cardamom’s pungency and warming action decrease the cold nature of Vata and Kapha. Therefore, it enkindles our digestive power and helps to remove excess mucus from the stomach and lungs.
As for Pitta types, it is only slightly warming, so when used in moderation it should not be a problem unless there is already a Pitta imbalance.
“… cardamom has a special ability to regulate the metabolism of sugar, so we see here the wisdom of these culinary traditions. ”
Here are the reasons you want to make cardamom part of your diet:
Safest digestive stimulant, helping with bloating, flatulence, indigestion, diarrhea, and constipation.
Great aid in the digestion of dairy products and sugar, preventing mucus formation.
Beneficial for nausea, belching, vomiting, and morning sickness.
Calming for the fetus when used by pregnant mommas.
Good for the mind and heart as it promotes circulation, gladdening the heart and opening the mind.
An antidote for coffee as well because of its detoxifying effects.
Great breath refresher
So, how can you get more cardamom in your diet and routine?
Cardamom is available in three forms: whole pods (light green in color), uncrushed seeds (which come from the pods), and as a powder. For the most prana and medicinal effects, favor the whole pods and uncrushed seeds. But I find it helpful to have a little powder available for some recipes.
You can grind them just before adding them to your recipe. I use a coffee grinder reserved only for spices. It is super practical, and your kitchen is always infused with beautiful aromatic smells. It's a great way to care for your senses, feeding them with sattva.
In Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines, cardamom is a common spice found in desserts. As I mentioned earlier, cardamom has a special ability to regulate the metabolism of sugar, so we see here the wisdom of these culinary traditions.
Cardamom is so versatile that it appears in many recipes in our kitchen: sweet and savory aromatic rice, dal, muffins, granola, teas, milk tonic drinks, and herbal water!
CARDAMOM RICE, SUPER EASY AND SUPER DELICIOUS. IT COUNTERS THE STICKY QUALITY OF RICE.