The cardamom plant grows in tropical Southeast Asia, native to India and Sri Lanka. Once the seeds are ready, pickers separate the pods from their stems and lay them to dry in the hot sun. Bakers and chefs separate the seed from the pod before they are ready to use it to preserve its flavor. The plant is closest to the ginger family. Because of its aroma and flavor, many Scandinavian, Middle Eastern, and Indian recipes include it in their cuisines. It's hard to describe its flavor profile - part vanilla, part ginger, and part clove, but I think it flourishes most when paired with vanilla by bringing a natural sweetness to dishes.
Add it to drinks.
In the Middle East, coffee purveyors grind the beans and cardamom together, or they will add it to the ground coffee afterward. This spice addition removes the bean's acidic bitterness and helps bring out the bean's flavor. Try it in your homemade chai tea with ginger and black pepper. Toss a few pods in your mouth as a breath freshener.
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Include it in infusions.
I find as the pod loses its freshness, it will take longer to infuse. Green cardamom is very expensive by weight and doesn't take much time to infuse. So, if the recipe calls for ten cardamom pods, it's 1 1/2 teaspoons ground.
Elevate your curries and desserts.
Create a finish for your masalas or curries and boost their flavor profiles. Try it in desserts. I love it in Indian rice puddings. The vanilla brings the cardamom out and perfumes the dessert.