Spice

- Cardamom -
Social Studies Presentation
B y Haqqi I lag an
 What is Cardamom?

C a r dam om i s a s p i ce m a d e f r o m t h e s e ed p o d s o f v a r i ous p l ant s i n

t h e g i nger f a m i ly. C a r da mom p o d s a r e s p i ndl e -sha ped a n d h a ve a
t r iangular c r os s-section. T h e p o ds c o ntai n a n u m ber o f s e e ds, b u t
t h e e n ti re c a rdam om p o d c a n b e u s e d w h ole o r g r o und. T h e s e e ds
a r e s m a l l a n d b l ack, w h i le t h e p o ds d i ffer i n c o l or a n d s i z e b y
s p e cies. C a r damom i s u s ed t o s p i ce b o t h s w e et a n d s a v ory d i shes. I t
i s w i del y e m pl oyed i n I n di an, M i ddl e E a s tern, A r a bi c, a n d S w edi sh
c u isine. I t c o m es i n t w o t y p es a n d i s u s e d a s w h ol e p o ds, s e eds, o r
g r ound. C a r dam om i s f o und i n t h e g a ra m m a s al a s p i ce m i x ture t h a t
s e a s ons m e a t a n d v e geta ble d i shes, a n d i n h o t b e v erages s u ch a s
m a s a la c h ai a n d Tu r kish c o ffee.
 History of Cardamom:
C a r d am om i s a n a n c i ent s p i c e t h a t h a s b e e n u s e d f o r c e n t ur ies i n v a r ious
c u i s ines a r o und t h e w o r ld. I t i s n a t iv e t o I n d i a a n d S o u t heast A s i a a n d i s o n e
o f t h e m o s t e x pen siv e s p i c es i n t h e w o r l d. I t h a s a s t r ong , s p i c y f l a v or t h at i s
o f t en u s e d i n I n d i an, M i d dl e E a s t er n, a n d S c a nd inav ia n d i s h es. C a r d am om i s
u s e d i n d e s s er t s, r i c e d i s hes, c u r r i es, a n d d r i nk s. I t i s a l s o u s e d t o f l a v or
c o f f ee, t e a, a n d h o t c h o c olat e. C a r dam om i s u s e d i n t r a di t ional m e di c ine a n d
i s b e l i ev ed t o h a v e v a r ious h e a lt h b e nef it s, s u c h a s a i d i ng d i g est i on a n d
r e d uc i ng i n f l am mat i on. T h e u s e o f c a r dam om d a t es b a c k t o a t l e a s t 4 , 00 0 B C .
I t w a s u s e d i n A n c ient E g y pt a s a f l a v or i ng f o r b e er a n d a s a n i n g r edi ent i n
p e r f um es. I n I n d i a, c a r d am om w a s u s e d i n Ay ur v edic m e d ic i ne, a n d i n C h i n a,
i t w a s u s e d t o s w e et en b r eat h a n d t r e at d i g est iv e p r o bl em s. I n m e d iev al
E u r op e, c a r dam om w a s u s e d t o f l a v or f o od a n d a s a b r e at h f r esh ener.
C a r d am om w a s a l s o u s e d i n t h e M i d dl e A g es t o t r eat s o r e t h r oat s, c o l ds, a n d
c o u g hs. B y t h e 1 8 t h c e nt ur y, c a r dam om w a s a n i m p or t ant i n g r ed ient i n
S w ed ish a n d N o r w eg ian c u i s ine.
 Varieties of Cardamom:
T h ere a re tw o m a in ty p es o f ca rd amom: b l ack ca rdamom a n d g re en ca rdamom, a n d
t h e re i s a l s o w h i te c a r d a m o m w h i c h i s a b l e a c h ed v e r s i o n o f g r e e n c a r d a m om . G r e e n
c a r d a m o m i s t h e k i n d f o u n d m o s t o f t e n i n N o r d i c a n d M i d d l e E a s te rn c u i s i n e , w h i l e
r e c i p e s i n I n d i a a n d A s i a w i l l o f te n s p e c i f y w h e th e r g r e e n o r b l a c k c a r d a m om i s
u sed.

G r e e n c a r d a m o m ( E l e tt a ri a c a r d a m o m o m ) i s k n o w n a s t r u e c a r d a m om . T h i s i s t h e
m o s t c o m m o n v a r i e ty y o u w i l l s e e s o l d i n t h e s p i ce a i s l e o f t h e s u p e r m a r ke t. I t i s
t h e t o p c h o i c e f o r s w e et d i s h e s b u t a l s o w o rk s w e l l i n s a v o ry d i s h e s . T h e b l e a ch e d
v e r s i on , w h i te c a r d a m om , h a s l e s s f l a vo r. I t i s g r o w n i n t r o p i c a l a r e a s i n c l u d i n g
I n d i a , M a l a ys i a , a n d C o s t a R i c a .

B l a c k c a r d a m om ( A m o m u m s u b u l a t u m ) h a s l a r ge r p o d s t h a t a r e d a r k b r o w n . I t h a s
a s m o ky e l e m en t t h a t m a ke s i t m o r e a p p r o p ri a t e f o r s a vo r y d i s h e s , b u t i t i s u s e d i n
s w e e t d i s h e s a s w e l l i n s o u th e rn I n d i a . I t i s g r o w n i n t h e e a s te r n H i m a l a y a s .

C a r d a m o m i s f o u n d i n I n d i a n c o o ki n g a s w e l l a s M i d d l e E a s te rn c u i s i n e . I n I n d i a n
re ci pes, w h ole ca rdamom p o d s a re u s ed i n p re paring b a smati ri ce a n d v a rious
c u r r i e s . I n M i d d l e E a s te r n r e c i p e s , g r o u n d c a r d a m o m s p i c e s c e r ta i n d e s s er ts .
Two Main Types of Cardamom:

Black Cardamom Green Cardamom

 Whole vs. Ground Cardamom

R ecipes u sing b l ack c a rdamom o f ten c a ll f o r u sing t he w h ole p od, w ith

t he s eeds i ntact. T he p ods a r e t hen d iscarded a f ter c o oking i s d one a s
c homping i nto t he w h ole p od i s u npleasant.

I f y ou're u sing g r een c a rdamom i n a r e cipe, i deally y ou'd s t art w i th

w hole c a rdamom p ods. I f y ou b u y g r ound c a rdamom ( i .e. c a rdamom
p owder) f r om t he s pice s ection, i t w on't b e a s f l avorful s ince t he
e ssential o ils o f t he c a rdamom s eed w ill l ose t heir f l avor r e latively
q uickly a f ter t he s eeds a r e g r ound.
Whole vs. Ground Cardamom

Wh ole C a rdamom Ground Cardamom

 What Does Cardamom Taste Like?

Ca rdamom h as a strong, sweet, pu n gent f lavor a n d a roma,

with h ints of lemon an d min t. Bla ck ca rdamom h a s a s moky
n ote an d a cooling men thol on e as well.
 Cooking with Cardamom

Yo u c a n u s e p o wdered c a rda mom a d d ed d i rectl y t o r e cipes t h a t c a l l f o r g r ound

c a rda mom, b u t y o u w i l l g e t m o r e f l avor b y s t a r ting w i th t h e p o d s. To as t g r een
c a rda mom p o d s i n a d r y s k i l let f o r a f e w m i nutes. L e t t h e m c o ol f o r a m i nut e
a n d t h en r e m ove t h e s e e ds f r om t h e p o d s. S a v e t h e p o d s t o u s e f o r a d di ng t o
c o f fee o r t e a f o r f l avor. G ri nd t h e s e e ds i n a m o r tar a n d p e s tl e f o r b e s t r e sult s,
o r y o u c a n u s e a m o t o riz ed s p i ce g r i nder ( l i ke a c o ffee g r i nder).

I f y o u a r e u s i ng g r een c a rdam om f o r h o t d r i nk s s u ch a s c o f fee, s i mpl y g ri nd

t h r ee t o f o u r c a rdamom s e eds a l ong w i th y o ur c o f fee b e a ns a n d p o ur y o ur h o t
w a t er o v er a s u s ual . S o m e t r a diti ons g r i nd t h e w h ole p o d, b u t i t ' s f i ne t o u s e
t h e s e e ds o n l y.
Recipes with Cardamom

I n t e re s ti n gl y e n o u gh , o n e o f t h e c o u n t ri e s t h a t c o n s u m e t h e m o s t
c a r d a m o m i s S w e d e n , w h e re c a r d a m o m i s e m pl o ye d t o s e a s on e v e r yth i n g
f r o m b a k e d g o o d s t o h a m b u r ge rs a n d m e a tl o av e s. I t m a t c h e s w e l l w i t h
c i n n a m o n , n u t m e g, a n d c l o ve s i n a u t u m n -s pi ce d r e c i pe s , a n d t h e s e s p i ce s
a r e a l s o i n c l u de d w i t h c a r d a m om i n I n d i a n s p i c e m i x tu re s , s u c h a s g a r a m
m a s a l a . D r i n ks f r o m m u l l e d w i n e t o h o t c i d e r t o e g g n o g w i l l b e n e fi t f r o m
a n u n e x pe cte d h i n t o f c a r d a m om .

- S w e d i s h S w e e t R o a s te d B r e a d

- I n d i an R o a s t L e g o f L a m b

- Ca rdamom I ce Cre a m
Substitutions of Cardamom

I t w i l l b e h a rd t o f i nd a t r u e s u b sti tute f o r t h e u n i que f l avor o f

c a rda mom, b u t i n a p i nch, y o u c a n b l end o t h er w a r m s p i ces t o h e l p
r e pl ace i t . C i nnam on w i l l b e t h e k e y, a n d t h e b e s t b l end w o ul d b e
e q u al p a rt s o f g r ound c i nnam on a n d n u tmeg. I f y o u d o n't h a ve
n u t meg, u s e g r ound g i nger o r g r o und c l oves a l ong w i th t h e
c i nna mon.
Where to Buy Cardamom

Yo u c a n f i nd g r een c a rdam om s o l d a s g r ound c a rdamom a n d w h ol e

c a rda mom p o d s i n t h e s p i ce s e c ti on o f t h e g r ocery s t o re. B l a ck
c a rda mom i s b e s t f o und a t a n i n ternati onal s p e cial ty g r ocer, a n d you
w i l l f i nd g r een c a rdamom t h ere g e neral ly a t a m u ch b e t t er p ri ce
t h a n t h e u s ual s u permarket.
Storage for Cardamom

I t i s b e s t t o s t o re c a rdam om a s w h ol e p o ds i n a s e a l ed c o nt ai ner i n a
c o ol , d r y p l ace. G r ound c a rdamom c a n b e s t o red s i mi larl y, b u t w i l l
q u i ckl y l o se p o t ency a n d s h o uld b e u s ed a s s o o n a s p o s sibl e.
That’s All, Thank
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