SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, July 1, 2026 (Hinduism Today): Lakshmi Sridharan surveys the history, uses and properties of cardamom, cloves and nutmeg, three prized Asian spices whose value helped propel European maritime trade with India and Southeast Asia. Green cardamom is indigenous to the Western Ghats of South India, while black cardamom originated in the eastern Himalayas. Cloves and nutmeg originated in Indonesia’s Moluccas but have long been cultivated in southern India.
All three have extensive culinary uses as well as long histories in traditional medicine and commercial products. Cardamom is used in Indian sweets, rice dishes, curries and beverages; cloves flavor both sweet and savory foods and yield eugenol-rich oil used in pharmaceuticals and perfumery; and nutmeg supplies both nutmeg and mace while its essential oil is used in foods, cosmetics and perfumes. The article also reviews the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other compounds found in the spices.
Source: https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/july-august-september-2026/cardamom-nutmeg-cloves/