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| Home > Spice Producing Areas > Fruits
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| | Fruits - Spice Producing Areas
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 India, Sri Lanka, Guatemala and Thailand are the major producers of Cardamom in the world. Other countries who produce cardamom on a small scale are, Laos, Vietnam, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Tanzania. Admittedly, the largest area under cardamom is in India, which alone accounts for 90 % of the of the total world acreage.In India, Kerala State has the largest area, about 62 % of the total, followed by Karnataka State with 31 % and Tamil Nadu with 7 %.
Greater cardamom
Aframomum augustifolium are popularly known as Madagascar Cardamom and Cameroon Cardamom respectively. There are no Indian names for these species, nor they are grown in India. The plants occur in West Africa, East Africa, in the Seychelles Islands and in Madagascar. The seeds possess an aromatic odor and flavor slightly resembling that of true cardamom seed, but much more cineole-like and cajuput-like. These species do not have any commercial importance.
Aframomum koarima is popularly known as Korarima Cardamom. It is found growing in Thailand and some African countries. It is not grown in India, therefore no Indian name available. The dried ground spice obtained from Thailand on steam distillation yield 3.5 % of pale yellow volatile oil, which had a flat cineolic odor. This spice and oil are not produced commercially. It is used as spice locally.
Aframomum melegueta is a native of Africa, where it is found growing wild. It is cultivated to small extent in Indian gardens. It was also introduced to the West Indies. It occurs on the west coast of Africa from Congo to Sierra Leone. The shrubs furnish the `Grains of Paradise`. Indian name for this spice is not available.
Amomum aromaticum herb is 0.6 to 0.9 meters high, indigenous to Bangladesh and Assam and distributed over surrounding areas. It is cultivated in the wetter districts of West Bengal, Bangladesh and Assam, at the foot of the Himalayas. The fruits are produced on pendant spikes. They are narrowly obovoid (3.75 cm) and three valved, with numerous seeds in each cell.
Amomum kepulaga Sprague cardamom is popularly known as Round cardamom or Chester cardamom or Siam cardamom. It grows in Siam (or Thailand), Indonesia (particularly in Java and Sumatra) and other parts of the East Indian archipelago. The fruits are now seldom encountered in Europe and America. At one time, the fruit was official in the French Codex.
Amomum subulatum Roxburgh species is cultivated in swampy places along the sides of mountain streams in Nepal, West Bengal, Bangladesh, Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam and other North Eastern States (Eastern Himalayas) and forms one of the important cash crops of the Eastern and North Eastern region of India.
Juniper is found in the Himalayas from Kumaun westward at altitudes of 1520 to 4270 meters.
Kokam is found in the tropical rain forests of the Western Ghats, from Konkan southwards in Mysore, Coorg and Wynad. It is often planted in the southern districts of Maharashtra. It is reported to flourish well on the lower slopes of the Nilgiri hills. It flowers in November to February and fruits ripen in April/May.
Mace is a native of Moluccas, now cultivated in many tropical countries of both hemispheres such as Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, counties within West Indies etc. In India, it is grown in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and few other states. In Tamil Nadu, it is grown in Nilgiris, Burliar, Coimbatore, Salem, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari and Madurai districts.
Kababchini is a wild grown creeper that has its origin in Indonesia and Far Eastern countries. While it still grows wild, its concentration has been found mostly in South India from where bulk supply comes. However, it is reported that it also grows wild in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and adjoining areas of Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland up to certain extent.
Star Anise plant is indigenous to tropical and sub-tropical East Asia. It is extensively cultivated in a limited area with particular ecological factors, in Kwangsi in Southeast China and Tonkin in Vietnam.The dried star shaped fruit is the spice of commerce. It is usually dried following traditional method of sun drying or drying with the help of traditional ovens. Cultivation of this plant in India yet to be tried, but it is reported that it is available in a wild state in the forests of North Eastern India.
India is the only country, which produces a commercial crop of Tamarind. It is chiefly grown in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka States. A few thousand tones of the pulp are exported to West Asia, Europe and the USA, where it is used in Worcestershire sauces.
Vanilla was introduced in India for cultivation in the year 1835 A.D., but initially it did not made any remarkable headway. It was during post independence period that it was successfully grown in the States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. With increased global demand it expanded further and India became one of the leading countries in Vanilla export. However, due to fall of international price, there has been a slum, and there was economic set back.
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