Cardamom processing
Practical Action
appearance.
The capsules are
free of insect
damage and
visible mould.
Thrip marks on
the capsules do
not mean the
capsules are
infested with
insects.
Definition of terms
1. Empty and malformed capsules: Capsules which have no seeds or are scanty filled with
seeds. To measure this, 100 capsules are selected at random from the sample, opened
and the number of empty and malformed capsules are counted.
2. Immature and shrivelled capsules: Capsules which are not fully developed.
3. Black and splits: The former includes capsules that have a visible blackish colour and
the latter include those which are open at the corners for more than half the length.
4. Unclipped capsules: Capsules in which the tips have not been trimmed.
5. CGN: Cardamom that does not conform to any of the grades from CGEB to CG4 is
packaged under the grade CGN (Non-specified).
6. Coorg cardamom is segregated according to colour: 1 – golden to light cream; 2 – cream;
3 – light green to green; 4 – brownish. Where the cardamom are of no uniform colour,
there is no mention of colour on the label.
Agmark Schedule III for bleached or half bleached cardamom
Grade
Empty and
Immature
Size (diameter Weigh
malformed
and
of sieve hole)
t (G/L)
capsules (%)
shrivelled
(mm)
capsules (%)
BL1 0.0
0.0 8.50
340
BL2 0.0
0.0 7.00
340
BL3 0.0
0.0 5.00
300
BL Non 10.0
15.0
5.0
specified
General characteristics
The cardamom is fully
developed, dried capsules of
Elleteria cardamom,
bleached and/or half
bleached by sulphuring.
Colour ranging from pale
cream to white. Global or
three cornered with skin
ribbed or smooth.
The capsules are free of
insect infestation and
visible mould.
Thrip marks on the capsules
do not lead to the
conclusion that the capsules
are infested with insects.
Definition of terms
1. Empty and malformed capsules: Capsules which have no seeds or are scanty filled with
seeds. To measure this, 100 capsules are selected at random from the sample, opened
and the number of empty and malformed capsules are counted.
2. Immature and shrivelled capsules: Capsules which are not fully developed.
3. BL Non-specified: Cardamom that does not conform to grades BL1 to BL3 is packed
under the grade BLN.
4. Cardamom are packed separately according to whether they are fully bleached or half
bleached. In the latter case the colour of the capsules may be indicated at the request
of the packer; 1- pale creamy; 2 – dull white.
5. The word special can be affixed to grades BL1 and BL2 if at least 95% f the capsules do
not have thrip marks over 50% of their body surface.
5