Cardamom is a spice known since the times of the Greeks and Romans, who used it to produce perfumes, and is currently known as the third most expensive spice in the world after saffron and vanilla.
The one available on the Kenyan coast comes mainly from Tanzania, a great producer in competition with the East. 
The fruits of cardamom are small oval pods (capsules) about 1 cm long, pale green containing many small brown-black seeds. The seeds are usually ground and used as a spice, but since they quickly lose their aroma, the entire dried pods are marketed.
In general, the characteristics of this spice are stimulating thanks to the presence of a substance called cineol, able to act on the central nervous system. Cineol has antiseptic properties and is useful in sore throats, pharyngitis and respiratory disorders.
The powder obtained from seeds can have a stimulating and antidepressant effect if taken boiled.
Cardamom can also be included in the diet and among the natural remedies to accelerate the metabolism and make you lose weight.
It has great properties and with turmeric and ginger it is an ingredient of curry, a typical Indian condiment.
In case of stomach ache and hiccups the essence of cardamom is able to promote digestion and relax the diaphragm.
To avoid the abdominal swelling caused by some foods, such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, legumes, cooked vegetables in general, you can put some seeds (3 or 4,) during the cooking of food, without particularly altered the taste.
An infusion of cardamom can be used for rinsing to make the breath pleasant, or chew a few pods after a heavy meal, to aid digestion and perfume the breath.
To take advantage of the beneficial properties of cardamom we can also make simple infusions to breathe with a towel on the head to clear the airways. A sort of domestic aerosol