Kerala Cardamom: Why It Is Called the Queen of Spices
Green cardamom from the Western Ghats, how it grows and how to cook with it.
Cardamom grows in the cool, misty hills of Kerala, especially around Idukki. It loves shade, rain and rich forest soil, and the pods are picked by hand when they are ready.
Green cardamom has a sweet, floral, slightly citrus aroma. It goes into chai, rice dishes, sweets and spice blends. Crack a pod, scrape out the tiny black seeds, and crush them just before using.
Storage: keep pods in an airtight jar away from light and heat. Whole pods hold their aroma far longer than ground cardamom.
Black cardamom is a different spice. It is larger, smoky and used in savoury dishes, curries and biryanis. See Cardamom and Black Cardamom.
Ingredient pages: Cardamom and Black Cardamom.