Cardamom Perfumes and Fragrance Notes

An oriental fragrance

Cardamom perfumes contain a combination of both a spicy and aromatic fragrance. It is a fresh spice which has a slightly camphoraceous aroma. It is very aromatic with hints of pepper and zesty lemon.

Made from the small, black, seed pods of plants from the Zingiberaceae family, this spice can be identified by its triangular and spindle shaped thin, outer shell.

History tells us it was originally found in India, however was later discovered in Tanzania and Malaysia. It has also been found in Guatemala where it is cultivated for today’s use and has become the largest exporter of the spice in the world, closely followed by India.

Two main types of Cardamom Spice

Green Cardamom is the most expensive type of this spice by weight. It is also known as True Cardamom and is native from the species Elettaria Cardamomum as well as White Cardamom when it has been bleached. It is grown in India, but then sent to Malaysia.

Black Cardamom has several alternative names it is known by, including Nepal, brown, longer, greater and large. It is derived from the species known as Amomum Subulatum and is mainly cultivated in Sikkim, Eastern Nepal as well as parts of West Bengal in Indian and Southern Bhutan.

Food and drink

This spice has quite a unique taste, it is strong and intense, whilst also having an aromatic fragrance. Black Cardamom is more smoky, with a coolness. The coolness has been described as similar to that of mint.

It features in Indian cooking and is widely used across both sweet and savoury dishes such as commonly being used in spice mixes used for Masalas and Thai curries, as well as used to garnish dishes and rice. The green variant is often found in traditional sweets and also in the spiced tea, Masala Chai, whilst whole seeds can be chewed in a similar fashion to chewing gum to whiten teeth and freshen breath.

Cardamom Perfumes

This well known spice is used frequently in both men and women’s perfumes. It is ideally suited to the woody, oriental categories of fragrance. The Guatemalan version is used more commonly within perfumery as it has a more uplifting aroma.

Men’s Fragrances containing Cardamom