Cardamom is a seed pod that consists of a green outer shell filled with tiny seeds. The shell has just a little bit of flavor while the inner seeds are intensely flavorful. Cardamom is unique with a warm slightly lemon-like flavor and a wonderful aroma. Handpicking is essential to avoid damage to pods and plants.
An ancient spice, Cardamom was grown in the gardens of the King of Babylon in 720BC. Important in Scandinavian, Turkish, Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, cardamom features in both savory and sweet dishes. Pods can be used whole or split to obtain the seed just before use. Add whole cardamom pods to sauerbraten, curries and biryanis. Cardamom is essential when making chai. Add a few pods to the drip basket when making coffee or drop one directly into your coffee or tea cup and let steep. Use whole cardamom pods to mull wine, flavor glogg and infuse sugar. Because cardamom loses flavor quickly once ground, it is often preferable to buy the whole pods and grind only the quantity needed for a recipe. Grind the inner seeds for cardamom cake, bread and cookies.