HERBS and SPICES
Cardamom

Appearance: Free from blemishes
Color: Bold green pods, hard brownish - black seeds
Flavor & Aroma: Aromatic and sweet
Sensory Profile: Cardamom has a grapefruit - like, floral, soapy flavor containing some green/woody notes. It has a menthol undertone and is similar to Ginger.

Description
Cardamom is the dried, unripened fruit of the perennial Elettaria cardamomum. Enclosed in the fruit pods are tiny, brown, aromatic seeds which are slightly pungent to taste. Cardamom pods are generally green but are also available in bleached white pod form. It is available both in the whole pod and as decorticated seeds with the outer hull removed.

Uses
Cardamom is used in Danish pastries, Saudi Arabian, North African, Asian, and Indian cooking and in spice blends such as garam masala, curry powder, and berbere.

Origins
Whole Cardamom pods come from India while the decorticated seeds are imported from Guatemala. Two varieties are indigenous to India but are also cultivated in Guatemala and Sri Lanka. Indian Cardamom is considered to be of premium quality. The Malabar type, rounded in shape, has a pleasantly mellow flavor generally regarded as superior. The Mysore type, ribbed and three cornered, has a slightly harsher flavor but retains its green color longer.

Folklore
Throughout the Arab world, Cardamom is one of the most popular spices, with Cardamom coffee being a symbol of hospitality and prestige. The spice is also very popular in the Scandinavian countries where it is used more extensively than cinnamon.

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