Elettaria cardamomum Cardamom

Cardamom is native to Southern India and to this day India remains the chief exporter, with the Guatemalan crop also being significant.

Documentation of the use of cardamom in India goes back to the 4th Century BC, although it must have been in use long before then. Earliest record of exports goes way back to 1500BC, as we know the Egyptians used it as a medicine and a breath freshener.

While usage in European cuisine is limited it's very popular in Scandinavia, having been brought back there by the Vikings about a thousand years ago.

It's good in both savoury and sweet dishes and is popular throughout Asia and the Middle East. It combines well with other spices while giving a distinctive aromatic flavour, said to be woody and citrusy, which stands out well. In sweet dishes it provides a similar function to vanilla.

Beverages also benefit from addition of cardamom, it's a standard addition to Turkish coffee and is the main spice in Indian Masala Chai Tea.

When wanting to distinguish Elettaria cardamomum from a number of similar plants the term green cardamom is used. Most common alternative is Black Cardamom, which is usually either Amomum subulatum or Amomum costatum. This is a larger pod with a less delicate flavour and a somewhat sulphurous taste. While it's often considered that Green Cardamom is the finest available, the Black version is a distinctive alternative which is prefered for a number of dishes.