Cardamom-The Queen of Spices. Why so precious for us?
Who doesn’t like cardamom! Tricky question, indeed!
Cardamom- the queen of spices, the title is true to its values for us any day. Cardamom is evergreen in terms of its uses and benefits for which it is the constant favorite. Cardamom is used as spicing sweet and savory dishes. It is most popular in Indian, Middle Eastern, Arabic, Sweden. It comes in two types in the forms of whole pod, seeds, and ground. The common term to be used as in garam masala for various Indian dishes and the most popular masala tea. Also used in Turkish coffee.
What is cardamom? A seed pod is found in the plants of the ginger family and used as a spice. These pods are spindle-headed triangular-shaped. The pods consist of black and smaller seeds.
Varieties of cardamom: There are mainly two types of cardamom- black and green. There is also white cardamom which is then a bleached version of green cardamom. Green cardamom is most widely used in nordic or middle easter dishes. While in India its often distinguished whether black or green cardamom is used specifically for the required dishes.
Green cardamom is the true cardamom, which is mostly used in Indian, Malaysian, costa Rica, tropical countries, especially for various sweets, spicy dishes, even used in basmati rice, etc.
What does it taste like? cardamoms have a strong, sweet, pungent, aroma taste mixed with flavor. Black ones have a smoky as well as cool menthol mint flavor.
Cardamom as the cooking specialist:
During various recipes, the black cardamoms are used as a whole pod but later the whole pod is discarded which is eventually good for the process of cooking. While using green cardamoms it’s better to use the whole pods. If you are using the grounded pods from the spices section, it might lose the flavor and essential oils intact.
The green cardamom pods can also be used as cooling them of few times, they can be used in tea or coffee as a flavor. While using for beverages it is good to use the ground seeds not the whole pod for the sake of taste.
Sweden is one of the countries which is using cardamom as an interestingly important art of their seasonal recipes including hamburgers, baked foods, etc. It is also mixed with other spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and used as garam masala in various delicious Indian dishes. One of my constant favorite recipes is the cardamom ice cream in the summers. This is how it’s keeping our mouth flavored with delicious cuisines all year round.
A question we frequently hear is:
Why green cardamoms are so expensive?
After saffron and vanilla, green cardamoms are the third most expensive spice in the whole world. But why so? The main reason behind this is it needs to be harvested by hand. Hand grew especially in the Idukki district of India where raja’s family has grown the spice for 30 years.
The process is highly labor-intensive as it requires handpicking method. Every cardamom must be picked the 3/4th time ripe, as a result, more time and care are to be invested manually than other spices that can be automated grown.
This spice production still follows the traditional way of cultivation. An acre of cardamom ground produces 50-150 pounds of these spices only. The demands have always been higher for this spice as compared to the labor, making this spice usually the most unique and costly.
But still, the wonderful benefits of this spice will make one ignore the cost because it is a precious ingredient.
After saffron and vanilla, green cardamoms are the third most expensive spice in the whole world. But why so? The main reason behind this is it needs to be harvested by hand. Hand grew especially in the Idukki district of India where raja’s family has grown the spice for 30 years.
The process is highly labor-intensive as it requires handpicking method. Every cardamom must be picked the 3/4th time ripe, as a result, more time and care are to be invested manually than other spices that can be automated grown.
This spice production still follows the traditional way of cultivation. An acre of cardamom ground produces 50-150 pounds of these spices only. The demands have always been higher for this spice as compared to the labor, making this spice usually the most unique and costly.
But still, the wonderful benefits of this spice will make one ignore the cost because it is a precious ingredient.
- Cures Cough and Cold- the spice is packed with antioxidants which in turn helps in good sleep as well.
- Aids digestion- helps in curing the indigestion process due to its cooling effect.
- Prevents bad breath- its mint pungent odor helps in rectifying the respiration smell.
- Lowers the high blood pressure
- Boost blood circulation
- The secret to longevity- it helps to flush out all the toxins keeping you fresh and staying healthier lifelong.
- Regulates your blood sugar level- it is rich in manganese.
- Support weight loss- it helps in boosting energy metabolism, thus burning out the fat excess.
- Treats insomnia- Gives your body a proper relaxation sense, proper rest with a good amount of sleep.
When it comes to substitutions, there comes the biggest controversy as it is the hardest to find the actual alternative to this wonderful spice. Nothing is true to this spice, but still, a pinch of ground cloves with mashed ginger flavor or cinnamon with nutmeg combination can also give a good flavor to the recipe or the drinks/beverages.
How to store:
It is best to store them in a cool dry and sealed container. Ground cardamom should also be stored similarly and should be used as soon as possible or else it will lose its potency soon.
You can get green cardamom or grounded ones available in any local supermarket. These are generally easily found in the spices section. Black cardamom is found in special markets because of its lesser availability as a local product.
