Cardamom country around Mangan

Large cardamom, also called black cardamom, is the smoky spice that goes into garam masala and many meat dishes across India. It grows in Sikkim as a shrub in the understorey of shaded forest, often under Himalayan alder, and the slopes of Mangan district, including Dzongu across the river, are among the places where it is most widely farmed. The plants flower in spring and the red pods cluster at the base of the stems close to the ground.

The harvest runs roughly from September to November. Families cut the pod clusters, separate them and dry them in a bhatti, a simple kiln where the pods sit on a rack over a wood fire for a day or more. That smoke is where the flavour comes from. The dried pods are packed into sacks and sold to traders who carry them down the highway through Mangan and Singtam.

This is not a formal tour. We arrange it through a host family, usually in Dzongu or a village near Mangan, who are happy to show their fields and kiln when work allows. Prices for cardamom swing sharply from year to year and disease has hit many growers, so ask about that too. Buy a small bag directly from the family if they offer it.