What is cardamom good for? How to make the most of the spice, its varieties, and a recipe
Cardamom is a spice I love, even though I do not use it often.
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I add a small amount of the ground spice when I make Danish pastries and delicate chickpea-flour cookies, and use a pod or two when I am cooking an Indian- or Middle Eastern-inspired dish, but that is about the extent of it.
It is a spice that should be used sparingly: with most preparations, a subtle hint of its distinctive flavour is much better than a strong jolt of it. I once accidentally bit into a whole cardamom pod I had used in a
biryani , and it was some time before I could get the bitter flavour out of my mouth.
Cardamom comes in two main varieties: black and green, with the former being much stronger and the latter used in a wider variety of cuisines.
Green cardamom has the stronger flavour of the two varieties, and is used in a wider variety of dishes.
Both can be bought as whole pods or ground. You get a better flavour if you buy the whole pods and grind them as you need them. If you must buy the ground spice, store it in the freezer.
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Cardamom can be used on its own or mixed with other spices; it is particularly delicious with saffron and is often part of spice mixtures such as ras el hanout and garam masala.
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