Cardamom (Elaichi) is amongst the world’s ancient spices. Cardamom is often referred as the 'Queen of Spices' because of its very pleasant aroma and taste. It is one of the most expensive spices, but only a little is needed to impart the flavour. It is a native of the East originating from the forests of the Western Ghats in South India. The ancient Egyptians chewed cardamom seeds as a mouth freshner while the Greeks and the Romans used it as a perfume.