Photograph — Cardamom pods (representative photograph). Source image unavailable; caption preserved.
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Spices, Aromatics & Dried Foods · Sikkim, Darjeeling hills
Sikkim Large Cardamom
Sikkim produces the majority of the world's large cardamom, an aromatic, smoky spice used across South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines and traditional medicine, grown organically under shade trees.
GI status: GI-registered, 2014
Shelf life: 1–2 years dried
Women-led sector
| Category | Spices, Aromatics & Dried Foods |
|---|---|
| Region | Sikkim, Darjeeling hills |
| GI status | GI-registered, 2014 |
| Typical shelf life | 1–2 years dried |
| Women's role in production | Grown under mixed forest canopy on family farms; the flue-curing and hand-sorting into export grades is work largely carried out by women in hill households and cooperatives. |
Why this fits a low-wastage SHG model: Flue-dried pods are stable for over a year, letting growers avoid distress sales at harvest peak.
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