Exploring cardamom: The queen of spices

I bought the baking mix in the photo to make Swedish cardamom buns (kardemummabullar.) These tender pastries are sweet and filled with warm notes of cardamom, a spice from the seed pods of a plant in the ginger family. Pods can be used whole or opened to release the seeds, which are either crushed or ground into a powder. There are two types of cardamom, green and black, with green being the most common.

Describing the distinctive flavor of cardamom is a challenge, as there are so many different aspects. You’ll find floral notes with hints of citrus, pine, menthol, and eucalyptus. Green cardamom is sweet, peppery, pungent, and aromatic; black cardamom is more earthy, woody, and almost smoky. With this complex profile, you can understand why the spice is a versatile ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes. 

Sometimes called the Queen of Spices, cardamom is the third most costly spice (after vanilla and saffron). The primary reasons for this are the limited growing region due to temperature requirements necessary for the plants to thrive and the labor-intensive process to harvest the pods by hand. While native to southern India, the largest supply of cardamom is now produced by Guatemala.

Cardamom is also one of the world’s oldest spices, used by the Egyptians for embalming and medicinal purposes; they chewed the pods to freshen their breath and clean their teeth. Greeks and Romans used cardamom as a key ingredient in perfumes and essential oils. Food historians believe the Vikings discovered the spice in India and brought it to Scandinavia, where it became a favorite ingredient.

Because of its versatility, cardamom is often blended with other spices, for example try adding a pinch to your next pumpkin pie filling, zucchini bread, or oatmeal cookies. In stews and braised meat dishes cardamom pairs nicely with cumin, while coriander will highlight its citrus notes. Complicated spice blends such as garam masala and curry will often feature cardamom. Anyone who has enjoyed a cup of chai tea will recognize the warm flavor of cardamom.

In most recipes that call for cardamom, the assumption is to select green cardamom, especially in sweet dishes. The use of black cardamom is usually seen in hearty, savory dishes. I have included recipes that are far less complicated than the Swedish buns I made from the kit (I might have not properly proofed the yeast, so these are later than they should be.) Try the carrot cake cupcakes, delicious with a cream cheese frosting, which works well with the spicy cake.

The recipe for Chai is just a basic starting point, as many people have very strong preferences about which spices to include or omit. For example, some leave out the nutmeg and add grated ginger, which adds a bit more spiciness. I would recommend a strong black tea in this drink, as a light green tea vanishes under the flavor of the rich spices.

Cardamom chicken is an easy dish for a weeknight dinner and the entire kitchen will be filled with the aromas of exotic spices. You can readily substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs, if you prefer. I like to serve this over Basmati or Jasmine rice, which will cook in about the same amount of time as the chicken. Enjoy cooking with cardamom!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes*

1 C sugar

2 eggs

1/2 C canola oil

1/4 C buttermilk

1 t orange zest

1 t vanilla

2 C grated carrots

1 1/2 C flour

1 t baking power

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t cardamom

1/2 C chopped walnuts

1/2 C softener butter

8 oz cream cheese

2 C confectioners sugar

1 T milk

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
Combine the sugar, eggs, oil, buttermilk, orange zest, and vanilla together in a mixing bowl and stir together thoroughly. Stir in the grated carrots. Combine dry ingredients in another bowl. Fold into the carrot mixture just until combined, add nuts and stir to incorporate. Pour batter into prepared pan filling cups to about 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a few cupcakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Cool for 5 minutes before taking the cupcakes out of the tin; fully cool on a wire rack.
Beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until well combined. Sift in the powdered sugar and mix until creamy. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Yield: 12 cupcakes. *Adapted from Simply Recipes.

Chai Tea

1/2 C water

1/2 whole star anise

10 whole cloves

6 whole allspice

2 sticks cinnamon

1/2 t grated nutmeg

6 whole white peppercorns

2 opened cardamom pods

4 C whole milk

3 T English Breakfast tea

Place water in a 2-quart saucepan and add spices. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to steep for at least 10 minutes. Add milk to the spice mixture and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add tea; allow to steep for at least 5 minutes. Strain into cups to serve. Yield: 6 servings.

Cardamom Chicken*

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 T olive oil

1 T minced garlic

2 t grated fresh ginger

1 grated onion

3/4 t cumin seeds

4 whole cardamom pods

1 chopped tomato

1/4 t turmeric

3/4 t cayenne pepper

3/4 t salt

3/4 t black pepper

Rinse and dry the chicken; cut into 1-inch pieces. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add garlic, ginger, and onion. Sauté until golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in cumin seeds. Open cardamom pods and add both pods and seeds to the skillet. Add tomato, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the tomato disintegrates, about 5 minutes. Add turmeric, pepper and salt; stir to combine. Cook, uncovered for about 5 minutes to create the sauce. Stir in chicken pieces, increase heat to medium, and cook just until done, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard cardamom pods. Serve over rice. Yield: 4 servings. *Adapted from “Entice with Spice” by Subhra Ramineni.