Cardamom comes from the seeds of a ginger-like plant. The small, brown-black sticky seeds are contained in a pod in three double rows with about six seeds in each row. The pods are between 1/4”-3/4” long.
Cardamom is a pungent aromatic spice used many different world cuisines. It is the second most expensive spice — only saffron costs more. It is used in curry powder, rice, meat, and dessert dishes. The taste is described as similar to ginger, but with a pinch of pine or an anise flavor. Green cardamom has a subtle to sweet fragrance, and is commonly used to flavor Chai tea. It is also used to flavor coffee, Danish and breads.
Cardamom seeds lose their flavor quickly when ground so buy whole whenever possible.
Green pods are superior to white pods for flavor.
Because cardamom is a spice of the tropics, it requires abundant rainfall and a mean temperature of 72º F (22ºC). Most of the world’s cardamom supplies come from India and Sri Lanka.
Cardamom has been used for thousands of years in India as a remedy for different digestive problems, particularly to help soothe indigestion and excess abdominal gas. Cardamom is its effective alleviation of bad breath.
