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Kerala cardamom guide
Cardamom Varieties Grown in Kerala: Njallani, Malabar and Mysore
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Quick Summary
Malabar, Mysore and Vazhukka cardamom types explained, plus the story of Njallani (Green Gold), the farmer-selected variety from Idukki.
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Kerala's cardamom falls into three traditional types, Malabar, Mysore and Vazhukka, told apart mostly by how the flower stalk grows. On top of these sit farmer and research selections, and in Idukki the best known is Njallani, also sold as Njallani Green Gold. For a home cook, the variety matters far less than how the pods were picked, dried and stored.
Still, if you've seen these names on a pack or heard them in the market, it helps to know what they mean.
Why are cardamom types named after places they don't grow?
This confuses almost everyone. "Malabar" and "Mysore" are old type names, not labels of origin. Going by the ICAR-IISR growers' guide, the Malabar type is grown mainly in Karnataka, while the Mysore type is grown mainly in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. So a "Mysore" plant may well be standing in Idukki.
The names describe the plant, especially the panicle, the long stalk that carries the flowers and later the pods.
Malabar, Mysore and Vazhukka compared
| Type | Panicle (flower stalk) | Where it's mainly grown | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malabar | Prostrate, spreads along the ground | Karnataka | Smaller plant, planted closer together |
| Mysore | Erect, stands upright | Kerala and Tamil Nadu | Sturdier plant, wider spacing |
| Vazhukka | Semi-erect, bends over | Kerala, widely | Natural cross of Malabar and Mysore |
Malabar type
The panicles creep along the ground, so pods form close to the soil and leaf litter. It's the traditional type of the Karnataka hills.
Mysore type
A taller, sturdier plant with upright panicles, common in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It's more prone to thrips, the tiny insect that leaves scabby marks on pods.
Vazhukka type
Vazhukka is a Malayalam word. This type arose as a natural cross between Malabar and Mysore, and its panicles grow out and then droop. It's widely grown in Kerala, and many farm selections today come from this background.
What is Njallani (Green Gold) cardamom?
Njallani is a high-yielding cardamom selected by a farmer, Sebastian Joseph, with his son Rejimon, at Kattappana in Idukki. They picked out plants that bore heavily with large pods and multiplied the best ones. The National Innovation Foundation gave the work its first national grassroots innovation award in 2001.
Njallani plants carry many more pods per panicle than ordinary local plants, and the pods are bold. It's multiplied from shoots of the mother plants and not from seed, which keeps the plants true to type and brings them into bearing sooner. It spread fast. The National Innovation Foundation reports that nearly nine-tenths of Idukki's cardamom area was under Njallani.
You'll sometimes see Njallani sold as a special name. It's a good variety, but a Njallani pod picked early or dried badly is still poor cardamom. The name tells you about the plant and nothing about the handling.
Does the variety change the taste?
A little. Research on cardamom oils finds real differences between plant lines in the balance of aroma compounds. In the kitchen, bigger differences come from:
- How ripe the pods were when picked
- How evenly and gently they were dried
- How long they've sat since harvest
- Using them whole or as old powder
Our post on how cardamom is hand-picked and dried walks through the picking and drying side.
Can you tell the variety from the pod?
Not reliably. Pod size and shape vary with the plant, but also with the season and how the pods were sorted. Bold pods can come from several varieties. Once cardamom leaves the farm, lots are usually traded by grade, size and litre weight, and not by variety.
That's why most sellers don't print a variety on the pack. If someone promises one, it's fair to ask how they know.
What we grow around Idukki
Our cardamom comes from farms around Idukki, the centre of Kerala's cardamom country (more in our post on Idukki spices and the Cardamom Hills). Varieties differ from plot to plot, so we don't name one. What's the same every time is the handling: dried in a cardamom dryer and packed whole, with nothing added, in a resealable pouch. You can find it as Kerala Cardamom whole pods.
For choosing, storing and cooking with cardamom, start with our complete guide to Kerala cardamom.
Frequently asked questions
Is Njallani the same as Alleppey Green?
No, they're different kinds of name. Njallani is a plant variety selected in Idukki. Alleppey Green is a trade and Geographical Indication name for green cardamom from the southern Western Ghats, whatever the variety.
Do different varieties need different cooking?
No. All green cardamom is used the same way. Crush pods for chai and curries, and grind the seeds for sweets.
Sources
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