Cardamom

Cardamom is the dried unripened fruit from a tropical Asian plant from the ginger family (Elettaria cardamomum). The small green papery pods contain a strand of 15 to 20 tiny, brown-black, shiny seeds, which have a richly aromatic aroma of lemon and eucalyptus. Although the whole pod may be used in cooking, it is more common to use only the seeds, either whole or ground. However, as the seeds quickly lose their flavour when ground, it is usually best to buy them in the pod in small quantities.

Cardamom may be used in a wide variety of sweet and savoury dishes, including Danish pastries, fruit salads, curries, pulses and rice dishes. It has a warm, aromatic but sharp taste, and an anaesthetic effect on the tongue. In Arab countries white cardamom (produced by either bleaching in the sun or with sulphur dioxide) is added into sweet coffee, whilst in Scandinavia it is used to season mulled wine. Cardamom also forms part of garam masala, a spice mixture used in curries.