Spices, herbs and condiments · IFCT 2017
Cardamom: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, green cardamom gives 255 kcal, 23.1 g fibre, 330 mg magnesium, 378 mg calcium and 1262 mg potassium, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. Its magnesium ranks 9th of 242 foods and its fibre 11th of 256. A cup of chai or a bowl of kheer uses one or two pods, however, so these per-100 g figures overstate what any dish delivers.
About cardamom
Green cardamom, Elettaria cardamomum, is the small, fragrant pod grown in the shade of forest trees in Kerala's Idukki hills, Karnataka's Coorg and the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu. It is elaichi in Hindi, elach in Bengali, elakkai in Tamil and Malayalam, yelakki in Kannada and veldoda in Marathi; IFCT 2017 records names in 17 languages. Black cardamom, badi elaichi, is a different, larger pod grown in Sikkim, Darjeeling and the North East and dried over fire.
Green cardamom perfumes masala chai, kheer, payasam, halwa, shrikhand, biryani and garam masala, and a pod chewed after meals freshens the mouth. Black cardamom gives a smoky depth to Punjabi chole, rajma, Kashmiri dishes and Mughlai gravies. IFCT 2017 lists both: black cardamom has 271 kcal, 6.7 g protein and 23.5 g fibre per 100 g, with 7.94 mg iron and 312 mg calcium.
What cardamom brings to a meal
- 01
Magnesium and potassium
Green cardamom carries 330 mg of magnesium and 1262 mg of potassium per 100 g, ranking 9th of 242 and 14th of 243 foods. At a pod or two per dish, though, the amount reaching a meal is tiny.
- 02
Very high fibre
Its 23.1 g of fibre per 100 g ranks 11th of 256 foods, most of it from the seeds and papery husk. Black cardamom is almost identical, at 23.5 g.
- 03
Calcium, iron and zinc
It lists 378 mg of calcium, 8.33 mg of iron and 3.71 mg of zinc per 100 g, ranking 16th, 21st and 20th of their tables.
- 04
Almost no folate
Cardamom has just 3 micrograms of folate per 100 g, the lowest of all 197 foods with a value in IFCT 2017, so it brings almost nothing for that vitamin.
Cardamom nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 255 kcal | 12% | 15% |
| Protein | 8.1 g | 15% | 18% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 47.8 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 23.1 g | ||
| Free sugars | 4.3 g | ||
| Total fat | 2.6 g | ||
| Water | 11.2 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.62 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.89 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.58 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 172 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 378 mg | 38% | 38% |
| Iron | 8.33 mg | 44% | 29% |
| Zinc | 3.71 mg | 22% | 29% |
| Magnesium | 330 mg | 75% | 89% |
| Phosphorus | 132 mg | ||
| Potassium | 1,262 mg | ||
| Sodium | 16 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.92 mg | ||
| Selenium | 11.7 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Beta-carotene | 22 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.12 mg | 7% | 7% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.07 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.13 mg | 6% | 8% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.15 mg | 6% | 8% |
| Folate (B9) | 3 µg | 1% | 1% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.14 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 6.8 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Cardamom: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/spices-and-herbs/cardamom/
Where cardamom sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 20 spices, herbs and condiments and every food in the tables.
Every form of cardamom in IFCT 2017
The tables analyse these separately. The figures above are for the row marked first.
| Form | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardamom, green (shown above) | 255 kcal | 8.1 g | 23.1 g | 8.33 mg | 378 mg |
| Black | 271 kcal | 6.7 g | 23.5 g | 7.94 mg | 312 mg |
How cardamom is eaten
- Masala chai: two crushed pods boiled with tea, milk, ginger and sugar.
- Kheer and payasam: ground cardamom stirred in at the end, so its aroma stays bright.
- Biryani and pulao: whole green pods in the ghee with cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf.
- Punjabi chole: one black cardamom pod for a smoky base note.
- Grind the seeds fresh with a little sugar; ready-ground powder loses its fragrance within weeks.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Before you plan around it
Cardamom is eaten in tiny amounts, so it adds aroma, not meaningful minerals, to a dish. It is one of the costliest spices in the world, and loose pods and powder are sometimes padded with spent or artificially coloured pods, so buy whole, plump, evenly green pods from a reliable shop and grind them at home. Store pods airtight, away from light and heat.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about cardamom
What is the difference between green and black cardamom?
They are different plants. Green cardamom is small and sweetly fragrant, used in sweets and chai. Black cardamom is large, dried over fire and smoky, used in savoury gravies. IFCT 2017 gives them similar nutrition per 100 g.
Is cardamom high in magnesium?
Per 100 g, yes: 330 mg, 9th of 242 foods in IFCT 2017. But a pod weighs well under a gram, so cardamom adds little magnesium to a real meal.
Is chewing elaichi after meals good for you?
Chewing a pod freshens the breath and is a pleasant habit. It is not a treatment for any condition, and persistent bad breath or indigestion is worth checking with a doctor or dentist.
Related foods and tables
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Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Mace
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Cumin seeds
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Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre per 100 g.
Iron content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by iron per 100 g.
Calcium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by calcium per 100 g.
All spices, herbs and condiments
21 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.