⸺ Cardamom Sourcing Guide
Technical sizing, moisture, oil content, color and the industries that source each grade — straight from a Guatemalan exporter shipping to Middle East, Europe, South Asia and North America.
危地马拉是全球最大的绿豆蔻生产国（Elettaria cardamomum），从 Alta Verapaz 高地供应约占全球 70% 的货量。贸易买家选择等级时，需要权衡三个方面：荚果外观粒径、化学特性（挥发油与颜色），以及每公斤可用香气成分的价格。本指南介绍我们供应的商业等级、各等级的技术规格及其适用行业。
The cosmetic ceiling of the crop. Bought on pod size and color before chemistry — the market pays a premium per kilo for visual presentation, not for additional aroma yield.
Size
9 mm and above
Moisture
8–11%
Oil
7–8% volatile oil
Color
Deep, uniform dark green
采购方
The working volume grade. Nearly identical chemistry to Jumbo 9 mm+ with a meaningful cost difference — most repeat trade buyers anchor on this band.
Size
7–8 mm
Moisture
8–11%
Oil
6.5–7.5% volatile oil
Color
Bright uniform green
采购方
The mainstream Western processing grade. Industrial buyers grind or extract — pod size is irrelevant in the finished product, so they buy on oil yield and price per kilo of aroma.
Size
6–7 mm
Moisture
9–12%
Oil
6–7% volatile oil
Color
Green with some natural variation
采购方
Best cost per kilo of volatile oil. Extractors and distillers screen out husk in their own process, so they will not pay the size premium that whole-pod markets pay.
Size
Unscreened, full crop blend
Moisture
9–12%
Oil
6–7% volatile oil
Color
Mostly green with natural blend
采购方
The pure-aroma grade. Customers pay a clear premium per kilo because every gram is active seed — no husk to discount in formulation math.
Size
Seed only, husk removed
Moisture
8–10%
Oil
7–9% volatile oil (highest)
Color
Brown to dark brown
采购方
By-product of the decortication line. Sold as a secondary aromatic when buyers want a soft cardamom note at a fraction of pod cost.
Size
Outer pod shell, post-decortication
Moisture
10–12%
Oil
1–2% residual
Color
Pale green to straw
采购方
⸺ 按目的地市场
| 市场 | 常见等级 | 原因 |
|---|---|---|
| Middle East — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar | Jumbo 9 mm+ · Green Large | Cardamom pods are prized whole for gifting and display. Visual size and uniform green color set the wholesale price; chemistry is secondary. |
| Europe — Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Nordics | Medium · Mixed · Decorticated Seeds | Industrial processors — bakeries, distillers, flavor houses, spice grinders. They buy on oil content per euro, not on pod appearance. |
| South Asia — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh | Large · Medium · Mixed | Branded retail spice packers and chai/masala blenders. Mix of whole-pod retail and ground-spice manufacturing. |
| North America — USA, Canada, Mexico | Medium · Decorticated Seeds | Spice brands, craft distillers, specialty bakers. Seed and medium volumes dominate; Jumbo 9 mm+ is a small specialty share. |
| Specialty — Perfumery, Nutraceuticals | Mixed · Decorticated Seeds | Extract houses producing oleoresin, essential oil, and active compounds. Buy on cineole + α-terpinyl acetate yield. |
⸺ 我们如何在产地分级
Alta Verapaz 的豆蔻在十月至二月之间趁绿采收，随后在受控干燥室中将水分从 ~80% 降至 8–11%，再通过经校准的筛网（6 mm、7 mm、8 mm）进行机械粒径分级。各粒径批次随后按颜色均匀度进行目视分级，并剔除裂荚。脱壳籽粒批次来自同一季收成，在干燥后通过机械分离。每批货物出货时均附水分证书、筛分粒径报告，以及应要求提供的第三方含油量实验室检测结果。
⸺ 准备采购
我们提供 5 kg、25 kg 和 50 kg 的黄麻袋或牛皮纸包装，以 FOB Puerto Quetzal 条件发货，也可应要求提供 CIF 或 DDP。每个等级最低订购量为一托盘（≈500 kg）。样品批次（250 g，密封并申报）将在 5 个工作日内发出。
