Cardamom

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum, from the Greek kardámômon, probably of Indian origin, transmitted by the Arabs) is a herbaceous plant with rhizome belonging to the genus Elettaria of the family Zingiberaceae native to Southeast Asia.

In Europe, one of the first known uses of cardamom dates from the middle Ages. It was then part of the mixture of spices that participates in the transformation of red wine (difficult to keep in the Middle Ages) in hypocras that was served as an aperitif. It was little used in Europe, except in the gingerbread, and in the cuisine of the Scandinavian countries. Today’s modern cuisine has a growing interest in this spice.

The dried fruit, which is in the form of a green, grey capsule with three compartments containing dark brown seeds, which alone are aromatic, is used as a spice. However, the fruit, which takes on a straw colour when dried, is marketed whole to avoid the alteration of the seeds. Artificially bleached capsules are also sold.

The seeds are used in Indian cuisine and more generally in Asian cuisine as well as in Middle Eastern cuisine, particularly in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, whole or powdered. It is also customary to put a seed in each cup of tea or Turkish coffee served. Cardamom has a very strong scent, so use it sparingly. It is not, however, pungent.

The name cardamom is also given to another spice, the "brown cardamom" (Amomum subulatum Roxb.), Whose "grains", brown and wrinkled, are larger than those of green cardamom, have a distinctly different taste, more rustic and less strong, and are sometimes prepared to develop a smoky aroma. Green and brown cardamom can be associated in a complementary way in some Indian dishes.