Cardamom Tea

Cardamom is one of the essential spices of Indian culinary preparations. This little spice, wrapped up in green peppery cover is widely used in South Asian cuisine. The black spice has been used in Ayurveda, since time immemorial. It is believed that the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and the Romans, considered cardamom to be an aphrodisiac. This made it a crucial ingredient in the love potions, which is frequently mentioned in the Arabian Nights. Cardamom, is known to have multiple health benefits, which stem from oil contents of borneol, camphor, eucalyptol, limonene, and terpinene. The sweet taste of cardamom has won it the title of 'Grains of Paradise'. Among other things, this spice lends its taste to most dishes, desserts and especially the classic cardamom tea.

Health Benefits

Digestive Aid
The traditional Ayurveda medicine trusts cardamom to be a digestive help which can reduce flatulence, cramps, stomach ache or indigestion.

Detoxification
Bad eating habits and unhealthy diet are good enough reasons for deposits of toxic wastes in the body. Cardamom possess detoxification properties. Thus a cup of this tea, will go a long way in keeping your body healthy and clean.

Congestion Relief
A congested respiratory tract can give you sleepless nights and massive headache. A simple homemade remedy for cold is a warm cup of this tea. This tea is also beneficial for those suffering with asthma or bronchitis.

Appetite Enhancer
Cardamom is the best to enhance your appetite. It helps the body cope up with acidity and a cure for halitosis too.

Nausea and Vomiting
Cardamom in any form is good for treating constant nausea and vomiting. It also helps in reliving severe menstrual cramps.

Other than these, cardamom benefits in blood circulation. It also helps in curing urinary tract infection and is an excellent cure for weakness too. This tea treats diarrhea, dysentery and exhaustion. Additionally, it treats insomnia, fatigue, heaviness of stomach, and helps in controlling sugar levels of diabetic people. When cardamom is brewed with cloves, the concoction can help treat cholera too.

How to Make Cardamom Tea

Ingredients

• 3 green cardamom pods
• 2 teabags
• 2 brown cardamom pods
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• Half a cup milk

Directions

• Pour about 7 cups of water into a skillet and bring it to boil.
• As the water boils, squash the cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar.
• Add the teabags and the grounded cardamom pods to the boil water.
• Let it simmer, it turns black with a tinge of red.
• Now add the milk to the boiling mixture and let it simmer, till it turns beige.
• Then switch off the heat and pour the mixture through a strainer, into a teapot.

Serve this tea hot to derive maximum benefit from it.

Like any other herbal tea, this drink has a plethora of medicinal properties. The warm aromatic fragrance of the spice is widely used in many coffees, confectioneries and curies. So drink up a cup of this sweet and spicy tea, for a hale and hearty life. Stay healthy!