Cardamom is known as the queen of spices. Green cardamom is the third most expensive spice in the world, after saffron and vanilla. The name cardamom comes from the Greek word kardamom (from Persian origin), and was used by the Indians, Greeks, Romans, Persians, Egyptians, and Chinese more than 2000 years ago in food, drink, medicine, and perfume. Originally from South India, the Vikings from Northern Europe purchased cardamom from traders who obtained it via the Constantinople route, and introduced it to Scandinavia. To this day, cardamom is an important ingredient in pastries in Denmark. Used by Cleopatra to fill her rooms with the sweet aroma(smoke) of cardamom before Mark Anthony's visit to Egypt, Egyptians chewed cardamom to clean their teeth.