Dubbed the "Queen of Spices" in India (pepper is King), Elettaria cardamomum is a member of the ginger ( Zinziberaceae) family. The name cardamom (sometimes spelled cardamon or cardamum) means "grains of Paradise." Cardomom requires warm weather, abundant rainfall, and patience--it takes four years for a first harvest.

The timing of harvest is critical to quality and yield. Because a fully ripe pod splits open--allowing the seeds to be lost or exposed to the air--the pods are picked while still green, but just as the seeds are turning dark. Pods ripen at different times on the same plant, further complicating the process.

Once harvested, the pods are dried--in the sun or in a kiln. Kiln-dried cardamom retains its green color while the sun-dried capsules "bleach" in the sun, turning a greenish-tan. (White cardamom pods may also be chemically bleached; these often have a slightly salty, bitter flavor.) The small, angular, hard seeds vary from light to dark reddish brown; these are also sometimes bleached before marketing. It takes over 3,000 cardamom pods (or about 50,000 of the small, hard, angular seeds) to produce just one pound of cardamom. Cardamom is available in the pod, or with the pod removed.

Delicious, aromatic, and therapeutic, cardamom has long been appreciated. Ayurvedic writings from the fourth century B.C. discuss the healing properties of cardamom, and the ancient Greeks and Romans used it in foods and for medicines and perfumes. The Vikings, who discovered it on a trip to India, enjoyed cardamom in festival cakes, and Indian cooks have traditionally used it to liberally season meat and vegetables. First imported to Europe in 1214, it was commonly used in pomanders and thought to have aphrodisiac powers.

Cardamom is available in several forms. The seed-containing capsules are sold as green or bleached pods, and the seed is sold without the pod (decorticated) in whole or ground form.

Suggested Uses:
Try cardamom in cakes, cookies and pies, stews and loaves, meat and vegetable pies, fruit salads and desserts (like baked apple), mulled wine, grape jelly, pickles, sausage seasoning, soups (especially split pea soup), and with sweet potatoes, carrots and squash. Indian cooks use cardamom in meats, vegetable and grain dishes, beverages, and desserts. It's an essential ingredient in authentic curry and garam masala blends. Whole pods are also chewed after spicy meals to cleanse the breath. Scandinavians use cardamom liberally in spice cakes, sweet pastries, breads, cookies, and ground meats (like Swedish meatballs). Spanish, Mexican and German cooks also enjoy cardamom. (German pfeffernusse cookies rely on it.)

Commercially, the fruits, seeds and oil are used to flavor beverages, frozen desserts, baked goods, candies, puddings, meats, fish, and condiments. It flavors custards, some Russian liqueurs, Arab and Turkish coffee, and Indian tea.