Cardamom
An extremely flavorful and ancient spice native to India,
cardamom's use has spread throughout the world, with nearly every culture
having its own distinctive use for the flavorful seeds. In India where both
green and black cardamom are used, it is an important ingredient in meat
and vegetable dishes. In parts of the Middle East the seeds are mixed with
green coffee beans before brewing. In Northern Europe (especially Scandinavia)
white cardamom is used to season baked goods such as Christmas stollen,
cakes, cookies, muffins and buns. Green cardamom is preferred in India and
the Middle East. Cardamom is a pod consisting of an outer shell with little
flavor, and tiny inner seeds with intense flavor. Fancy white and green
pods have no splits or cracks in the shell, so the flavor keeps well. Stored
in a glass jar, cardamom pods will stay fresh indefinitely. Shelled or decorticated
cardamom seeds are inexpensive and flavorful, but sometimes need to be crushed
or ground before use. Ground cardamom has an intensely strong flavor and
is easy to use (especially in baking, where the fine powder is desirable).
Black cardamom, long a staple in African cooking, was originally used in
India as a cheap substitute for green cardamom pods. Black cardamom has
a unique smoky flavor and has developed its own following over the years.
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