aboriginal toSoutheast Asia , cardamum is a spicery with a complex mix of sweet , peppery , flowered flavors used in both savory and sweetened dishes and teas . While black pepper is considered theKing of Spices , cardamum is roll in the hay as theQueen of Spicesbecause of its many uses , both medicative and as an element in culinary art all over the world .
Growing in podsthat are typically around three quarter of an in ( 20 millimeters ) in length , cardamom can be bought as dried pods or seeds and provides an aromatic , herby and sometimes minty taste to whatever it touches . Notably , Elettaria cardamomum play a major role as a flavor component inIndiancuisine , finding its way into staples like curries , masala and chai . There are two principal character of cardamon : green and calamitous , black serving as the more savory spice while fleeceable ( aboriginal to Sri Lanka ) can be used in fresh dish .
While cardamon is most associated with India , the subcontinent is actually one of three major producers of the spiciness , the others beingGuatemala and Sri Lanka . And though we may relate it with Indian cooking , Elettaria cardamomum is wide used as a baking ingredient inNordic countries(thanks to theMoors ) like Sweden , Norway and Finland with desserts likeKlenät .
People have been using cardamom for thousands of years , with some of the earlier compose citation move as far back as theBabylonians and Assyrians . While finding a delicacy made with cardamom is n’t difficult now , the spice actually was n’t pronto usable in the West until the 19th one C .
While cardamon is used in the main in the kitchen , it ’s been toutedto decrease rip pressure , fight cancer , help with digestive problems and protect from continuing diseases due to its purported anti - inflammatory property .
deal at around$30 a British pound sterling , cardamom cashes in as one of the most expensive spicery in the world . Because of the labour - intensive harvesting process ( much like saffron ) involved in bringing cardamom to market place , as well as a downcast payoff rate averaging out to around40 to 120 Pound ( 18 to 54 kilogram ) of seed per acre , cardamom also has such a distinctive savor visibility that it is however in high demand worldwide .
Next time you sip a nice iced chai and smack that spicy , herbal , borderline - minty taste , remember how much work went into putting such a complex herb in your cup .
