Alleppey green cardamom
Alleppey Green Cardamom is a variety of cardamom that originated from the present day of the Indian state of Kerala. The area of production of this variety of pepper spans across Southern Kerala, Western and Southern Tamil Nadu along the Western Ghats. It finds mention in ancient Hindu texts and is one of the spices traded since antiquity.
History
The spice is mentioned in ancient Hindu texts such as Arthashastra, Susruta Samhita and Charaka Samhita. In the fourth century BCE, it was traded with the Greeks. It later formed part of the spice trade with ancient Romans, Arabs and other European kingdoms later. In 18th century, Travancore kingdom had monopoly over trade and export of cardamom in an understanding with the British Raj. This made all produce of cardamom in Travancore to be sold solely to the state depot at Alleppey, which was the main trading port. This cardamom variety is called Alleppey cardamom not because it's grown in Alleppey rather it's because it was the main depot through which this cardamom was processed.Cultivation
The crop is cultivated across the southern slopes of the Western Ghats at altitudes ranging from. It grows in sandy loam or clay loam soil with pH less than seven. The plant grows up to tall. It is a rainfed crop, usually grown during the South-west monsoon season in July to September. The seeds are planted during the monsoon and the seeds germinate after five to seven weeks. The plants start bearing capsules in about three years after planting. Flowering commences during April-May and the fruits mature in about four months. The capsules are harvested during October-November and can be done multiple times in a single season.The area of production of this variety of cardamom spans across Southern Kerala, Western and Southern Tamil Nadu along the Western Ghats. It was one of the spices traded with Arabs, and later with Europeans.