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cardamom

seeds
decorticated
4.8
Based on 40 reviews
portion
0.39 oz
50¢
pinch jar
2.3 oz
$10
refill
2.3 oz
$9
large refill
10 oz
$25
PACKAGING GUIDE
VARIANTS
decorticated - seeds
whole pods - green pods
ground - seeds
Decorticated cardamom seeds have been separated from the husk and removed from the pod. They are black and brown in color and, when fresh, wildly aromatic. Removal from the pods is something most recipes that use cardamom require, and so purchasing 'decorticated cardamom' allows this step to be saved in cooking. Crushing or grinding the seeds slightly before use will release even more flavor and aroma.

Cardamom is a warm spice with citrus and floral notes; a little will go a long way. Its flavor profile makes it versatile enough to be used in both sweet and savory cooking.

Amp up chutneys, fruity jams, and pickling spice mixes. It is not uncommon in many cultures for cardamom seeds to be used in wines and liqueurs. Whole cardamom seeds work as well with lamb as they do with chicken or pork and add a deep complexity to roasted root vegetables. Cardamom can even be added to traditional meat loaves, potatoes, and whole fish, to provide a strong, warm essence.
QUICK INFO
cardamom , decorticated
INGREDIENTS
Cardamom seeds
PLANT PART
seeds
PROCESSING / FORM
decorticated
BOTANICAL NAME
Elettaria cardamomum
ORIGIN
Guatemala
BOTANICAL NAME
Elettaria cardamomum
AKA
True cardamom
small cardamom
queen of spices
Elettaria cardamomum is the aromatic plant that yields the fruit called cardamom. The fruit capsules are dried for their numerous culinary uses and for their wellness properties, and so these pungent pods have been dubbed the "Queen of Spices." Green cardamom is considered to be the second-most expensive spice by weight, surpassed only by saffron.

Though this plant is native to India's western Malabar coast, the majority of the world's supply of green cardamom now comes from Guatemala where the plant has been given another nick-name: "Green Gold of Guatemala." Part of the crop's success in the country lies in its being suitable for growing by smallholder households (often women-led). However suitable the crop is for farming, both cultivation and harvesting are still labor-intensive. Plants aren't mature for three to four years and the area around the crop requires weeding and pest control during that time. Once mature, the plant flowers in the spring, the fruit swells in the summer, and then when it is bright green and ripe it is ready for harvesting—usually in the first half of October.

Harvesting is done by hand, with scrapes or shoots of fruit clusters being broken off close to the stem. These fruit pods, called 'capsules', are dried by either sun or machine (depending on weather) after which they are then cleaned, polished, sorted, graded, and packed.
CONFUSIONS

Cardamom in kind
Though green cardamom pods are the most familiar to Americans, cardamom also can be found in black and white varieties. Though the term white cardamom is often (but not always) in reference to a bleached version of the green cardamom pods; black cardamom is a different species Amomum subulatum.

USAGE HINT

Toasting the seeds in a dry skillet before use imbues a roasted flavor and a subtle smoky/nutty aroma.

QUICK FACT

In Arab countries an aromatic coffee called gahwa is brewed as a 'welcome drink' for guests and for family gatherings. It is made using green coffee beans and cardamom and is served in distinctive vessels often with chocolate or dates as it is strong and bitter.

 
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REVIEWS (40)
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