A member of the ginger (Zinziberaceae) family the spice cardamom suffers from a bit of an identity crisis as it is sometimes misspelled cardamon or cardamum and it is often confused with Grains of Paradise. For those that ask "what is cardamom" the best explanation is that cardamom intensifies both sweet and savory flavors.
Cardamom's taste is lemony and light while it's aroma is rugged, but gentle, biting and fruity. In India Cardamom is referred to as the "queen of spices" (pepper is considered the king). During the harvesting process the timing is critical to ensure not only optimum quality but maximum yield as well. When it is fully ripened the pod splits open this allows the seeds to be blown away, fall to the ground and get exposed to the air – so the pods are picked while still in the slightly immature green state and just as the seeds begin to turn dark.
Most often recipes call for the whole or ground seeds rather than the full pod. The seed-containing Cardamom capsules are sold as green or bleached pods. Our cardamom seeds are from Guatemala and these are offered without the pod (also known as decorticated) and we also offer a high grade Cardamom Seed Powder. We also carry top quality Organic Cardamom Pods and the heavenly Black Cardamom Pods that are found in top quality Garam Masala blends.
Top quality cardamom seeds are ripe, with a hard shell, and are a dark brown in color. Cardamom is a staple ingredient in Berbere, Curry Powder and Garam Masala. Cardamom works well in combination with caraway, chili powder, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, ginger, paprika and pepper.
Some of our favorite recipes using cardamom include - Cardamom Spice Cake, Tropical Grilled Pork Chops, Makani Chicken, Low Carb Ethiopian Beef and Peppers and African Pea Soup.
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