Elettaria cardamomum

Cardamom is the fruit of a large perennial shrub that grows in the rainforests of the Western Ghats (also known as the Cardamom Hills), in eastern India.

Today, both species are cultivated in the regions from which they originate and in Tanzania, Vietnam, and Papua New Guinea, but Guatemala is the main exporter.

In India, cardamom has been used for 2000 years. It reached Europe via caravan routes, and the Vikings brought it from Constantinople to Scandinavia, where it is still very popular today.

FLAVOR

The aroma of cardamom is strong, but juicy, fruity and penetrating. The taste is lemony and floral, with notes of camphor and eucalyptus due to the cineole in the essential oil; it is pungent and smoky, with a warm, bittersweet note, yet clean and fresh.

USED ARE dried seeds, powder.

PURCHASE AND STORAGE

Green pods containing seeds can last up to a year if stored in a well-sealed container, but their color and aroma will fade. Exposed to air, the seeds will quickly lose their essential oils, and grinding them further accelerates the loss.

USE IN COOKING

Cardamom enhances both sweet and spicy flavors.

In India, it is one of the basic components of spice mixes. It is put in sweets, cakes, puddings and in ice creams (kulfi), it is also used in paan (Indian chewing mixture) to stimulate digestion or freshen the breath, and it is used with fennel, aniseed and areca nuts. In India, it is also used to flavor tea, while in Arab countries coffee is flavored with cardamom, often pouring it over pods placed in the teapot.

Cardamom is an indispensable ingredient in spice mixes such as baharat in Libya, Syria and the Gulf countries and berbera in Ethiopia.

Scandinavia is still the largest importer in Europe, and in Germany and Russia, cardamom is widely used in spiced cakes, desserts and bread, and occasionally in hamburgers and meatloaf.

The whole pods, lightly crushed, can be used to add flavor to rice, poached and stewed dishes, as well as toppings. It is an essential ingredient in many Indian slow-braised meat dishes (kormas) in which a thick marinating liquid is used to create a creamy sauce.

Peeled seeds can either be lightly crushed and fried, or baked and ground, before adding them to the dish.

Cardamom is good with baked apples, poached pears and fruit salads. It is good in combination with orange and coffee in desserts, but it is equally good with roast duck or poached chicken, in marinades or spiced wine. It is also useful in pickled vegetables.

IT IS ESSENTIAL for berbere, baharat, curry powder, dal, masalas, pilafs, Indian rice pudding kheer.

IT IS GOOD WITH apples, oranges, pears, legumes, sweet potatoes and other root vegetables.

COMBINES WELL WITH caraway, chili, cloves, coffee, coriander, cumin, ginger, red pepper, pepper, saffron, yogurt.