Cardamom processing
Practical Action
Agmark Schedule I for Alleppey Green Cardamom
Grade Trade
Colour Empty
Immature
name
and and
malforme shrivelled
d capsules
capsules (%)
(%)
AGEB Cardamo Deep 2.0
2.0
m extra
green
bold or light
green
AGB Cardamo As
2.0
2.0
m bold
above
AGS Cardamo As
3.0
5.0
m superior above
AGS-1 Shipment As
5.0
7.0
green-1
above
AGS-2 Shipment As
7.0
9.0
green-2
above
AGL Light
-
-
-
AGN
--
-
Blacks
and
splits
(%)
0.0
0.0
0.0
10.0
12.0
15.0
-
Size
(diameter
of sieve
hole mm)
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
4.0
3.5
-
Weigh
t (G/L)
435
415
385
350
320
260
-
General
characteristics
Cardamoms are
the dried
capsules of
Elletaria grown in
South India. The
capsules have 3
corners and a
ribbed
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. Colour: Cardamom are packed separately according to the colour: deep green, green,
light green and pale brownish. If 95% of the cardamoms correspond to one of the
colour groups, the relevant colour of the cardamom should be indicated on the Agmark
labels. When the cardamoms are not of any one uniform colour, the colour is not
indicated on the label.
5. AGN: Cardamom that does not conform to any of the grades from AGEB to AGL is
packaged under the grade AGN (Non-specified)
Agmark Schedule II for Coorg Green Cardamom
Grade Trade
Empty and Unclippe Immature
name
malformed d
and
capsules capsules shrivelled
(%) (%) capsules
(%)
CGEB Extra
0.0
0.0 0.0
bold
CGB Bold
2.0
0.0 3.0
CG1 Superior 3.0
0.0 5.0
CG2 Coorg
5.0
3.0 10.0
green or
Motta
green
CG3 Shipmen 10.0
5.0
15.0
t
CG4 Light
-
--
CGN
-
-
Blacks
and
splits
(%)
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
10.0
15.0
-
Size
(diameter
of sieve
hole mm)
8.0
7.5
6.5
6.0
5.0
3.5
-
Weight
(G/L)
450
435
415
385
350
280
-
General
characteristics
Cardamoms are
the dried
capsules of
Elletaria grown in
South India.
Colour range
from greenish to
brown. Global
shape, skin
ribbed or smooth,
pedicels
separated.The
capsules have 3
corners and a
ribbed
4