AELA

Quality

How we grade, and why it matters

Cardamom is graded by the size of the capsule and the depth of its green. Bigger, greener capsules hold more volatile oil — which is simply another way of saying they smell and taste stronger.

A cardamom flower open on the panicle, with green capsules forming beside it
Every capsule begins as one of these. The flower is pollinated low on the panicle, and the capsule swells behind it over the weeks that follow.
The base of a cardamom clump, its panicles heavy with unripe green capsules
Panicles run along the ground rather than upward, which is why picking is done by hand, bent low, and why the same clump is picked over and over across a season.

Our grades

AGEB

8 mm and above

Alleppey Green Extra Bold

Our largest capsules, deepest colour, highest oil. What our export buyers take.

AGB

7 mm

Alleppey Green Bold

The everyday premium grade — the same aroma, one size down.

AGS

6 mm

Alleppey Green Superior

Smaller capsules, full flavour. Good for grinding and masala.

From the plant to the pouch

  1. 1

    Picking

    Capsules are picked by hand at three-quarter maturity, in rounds every 30 to 40 days through the season. Picking too early costs colour; too late and the capsules split.

  2. 2

    Curing

    Into the curing house the same evening, held between 50 and 55 °C and turned through the night. Slow and low is what keeps the green.

  3. 3

    Grading

    Sorted by size over sieves, then hand-checked for colour and split capsules before packing.

  4. 4

    Storage

    Sealed in food-grade pouches, away from light and heat, and packed to order rather than held in stock.

A record of every input

For every estate we manage, we keep a dated log of every fertilizer and every spray applied — what it was, how much, and when. Growers can see it in their dashboard at any time, and it is there when a buyer asks what has gone onto the crop.