Organic Cardamom
✓ 100% natural
✓ Organic
✓ Single-estate
✓ Traceable to source
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The Kosgolla estate is tucked away in the wet, misty mountains of Ududumbara home to many diverse plants and animals. It is a true Sri Lankan haven. This jungle estate is blessed with fertile soil high in organic matter and litter munch with a tremendous jungle canopy and therefore requires no inorganic fertilization. The thick jungle, mountainous terrain and wet weather provides for perfect conditions for cardamom growth.
Harvested from the Jungle
Maintaining fields and harvesting cardamom in the jungle environment provides plenty of challenges and is an immensely difficult task. Cardamom generally starts to bear at the third year after planting. Our cardamom is sourced solely from this estate and is thus traceable to source.
A Hundred Year Old Process
The cardamom is hand-picked by experienced pickers where only capsules of right ripeness are plucked. For generations the residents of this area have made a livelihood by plucking cardamom and tapping the juice of the mountain Kithul palm.
Highest Grade Quality
Due to the unique weather patterns and mountainous terrain found in the central hills of Sri Lanka the green cardamom produced here has a unique flavour and is amongst the best quality cardamom in the world. For decades Kosgolla estate cardamom has been fetching the highest prices at auctions for the best grades of cardamom in Sri Lanka and is renowned around the world.
Queen of Spices
Cardamom is widely known as the Queen of Spices. The cardamom plant belongs to the family Zingiberaceae and its species name is Elettaria cardamom. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with a pseudo stem and thick irregular shaped rhizomes. The dried cardamom capsule is traded as a spice and mainly used as a flavoring agent or medication.
Cardamom production began during ancient times but it has been traded to the western world from the early 1500s. Today, it is highly sort after and one of the world’s most expensive spices.
Hand-Picked, Hand-Sorted
The cardamom is hand-picked by experienced pickers where only capsules of right ripeness are plucked. Harvesting of fields are done at 4-8 week intervals. Weeding is only carried out within and around the cardamom bush in order to reduce bora attacks. No chemical pesticides are used on this estate. The green cardamom is weighed and carried down to the estate factory where it is washed and sorted before being sent to dry in the hot barn.
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The cardamom is dried in a hot barn, capsules are spread on shallow wire mesh bottomed trays and placed on shelves in the chamber at 45-55 C. The drying process can carry on throughout the night depending on the moisture content of the capsules. The capsules are under close supervision 24/7 by expert barn men and overlooked by qualified superintendents. The stalks are then removed and winnowed. The cardamom is then ready for final sorting in to their respective grades depending on colour, size and quality of bulb.
Cooking with Cardamom
Cardamom is used to spice both sweet and savory dishes. It is widely employed in Sri Lankan, Indian, Middle Eastern, Arabic, and Swedish cuisine.
Cardamom has a complex flavour profile - it is citrusy, minty, spicy, and herbal all at the same time while being highly fragrant. Cardamom is found in the garam masala spice mixture that seasons meat and vegetable dishes, and in hot beverages such as masala chai and Turkish coffee.
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​It's possible that cardamom has healing properties. Evidence shows cardamom to be one of the healthiest herbs on the planet.
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Traceable to Source
The Kosgolla Estate is tucked away in the misty mountains of Ududumbara. Home to many endemic plants and animals, it is a true Sri Lankan haven.
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For generations, the residents of the area have made their livelihoods by plucking cardamom and tapping the juice of the mountain kithul palm.
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Our cardamom is sourced solely from this single estate and thus is traceable to source. Each Kosgolla Estate product contains a QR code which provides information on the product, source of ingredients and the individuals that were involved in plucking, tapping and/or manufacturing. Since no preservatives or other ingredients are added, you are guaranteed that the products you are consuming are unrefined, unadulterated, and 100% natural.
Meet The Pluckers
Vijitha Kumar
Born and bred on this jungle estate VK epitomizes the perfect jungle boy. Well built, strong and agile he is one of the best tree climbers on the estate and likely in the island! He currently taps the highest number of kithul trees on the estate on the high slopes of Thotipallama. The terrain is steep and rugged, the kithul trees fighting to reach the top of the jungle canopy are over 100 feet tall. Tapping kithul trees here isn’t for the faint hearted. VK climbs each tree twice a day to collect sap which requires an enormous amount of skill and energy, which he posses in abundance. He is the idol on this estate!
Sivan Raj
SR is the youngest of 3 brothers on the estate and certainly the most mischievous of the three. He is an apt tree climber himself and has the gift of youth! He taps a third of the kithul trees in the lower division of the estate. He is resourceful and smart and ever willing to share the secrets and treasures of the jungle. He is definitely the rising star of the estate family!
Raj Kumar
RK is the eldest of the 3 brothers and taps the kithul trees of the upper division of the estate. The upper parts of these misty mountains posses the most challenging environments to work in. The weather is harsh, the undergrowth thick and leeches in abundance but you will never find RK without a smile. He also trains and helps his younger brother Selwar Kumar and together the two of them tap all the kithul trees in the upper division. The sap from the upper division is particularly rich and results in the unique taste of the Kosgolla jaggery!