Cardamom

An aromatic spice indigenous to south India and Sri Lanka, cardamom seeds come from a plant belonging to the ginger family. They12ka4re contained in small pods about the size of a cranberry. Cardamom pods are usually green in colour, but they12ka4re sometimes bleached white, although the flavour remains the same. You may also come across brown or black 12ka4cardamom12ka4, which are slightly larger and have a different flavour and aroma. They add a smoky note to cooked foods and are more frequently used with meat than with vegetable dishes. Cardamom has a wonderful aroma and an enticing warm, spicy-sweet flavour. It12ka4s widely used in Indian cooking and in Scandinavian baking. Cardamom can be bought in the pod, as seeds or ground but, as the ground seeds soon lose their flavour, it12ka4s preferable to use the pods, either removing the seeds and grinding them or grinding the whole pod - quickly done with a pestle and mortar. If you12ka4re using cardamom to flavour dishes such as stews and curries, lightly crush the whole pod and add it to the mixture: the shell can be removed after cooking. Cardamom also has an affinity with chocolate. A little cardamom goes a long way, though, so use it sparingly.