How to Use Cardamom
The Queen of Spices
Sweet | Pungent | Resinous | Floral
COOKING TIPS
- Cardamom’s timeless aromatics are indispensable across global cuisines, from Indian chai, biryanis, and kormas to Middle Eastern rice, Nordic pastries, German sausages, and Turkish coffee.
- The spice's affinity for both sweet and savory applications makes it one of the world’s most adaptable spices—capable of adding elegance to sweets, depth to stews, and lift to spice blends.
- A little goes a long way. Cardamom's flavor can dominate if overused, so start small and scale up.
- Try cardamom in rubs, fruit compotes, roast duck, custards, pickles, or even cheese.
GRINDING
- You can use whole cardamom like bay leaves in rice and stews, or you can temper them (next section).
- While you can grind entire pods, extracting and grinding only the sticky black seeds is best. Nearly all of cardamom's flavor compounds are concentrated there. The green husk is mostly fibrous and bland.
- Use a spice grinder for a fine powder or mortar and pestle for coarser texture.
- Mix ground cardamom directly into batters, fillings, spice blends, rice, marinades, or even oatmeal and smoothies. You can also sprinkle it on top of coffee, baked goods, beverages, desserts, and meat dishes.
TOASTING & TEMPERING
- Toasting cardamom pods or seeds in a dry skillet adds roasted, smoky, and nutty notes not present in the raw spice. This is especially useful in savory dishes.
- Because many of cardamom’s key flavor compounds are not water-soluble, its flavors don’t easily infuse into water-based dishes. Lightly sautéing whole or crushed pods in butter or oil allows its fat-soluble compounds to freely release their flavors before you add in other ingredients.
- Avoid high heat or prolonged cooking, which can mute its perfume and add bitterness. A brief warm-up is often enough to coax out the spice’s magic.
STORING
- Since the most exquisite, delicate top notes of the queen of spices quickly dissipate once ground, it's best to buy and store whole cardamom pods in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place and grind them as needed.
- The green husks protect the flavorful seeds inside and preserve their oils. Avoid bleached white pods. They’re mostly for show and have a weaker aroma.
- Ground cardamom loses its flavor within weeks. For best results, buy whole pods and grind only as needed. Check that the seeds are black and sticky—not pale or dry—to ensure freshness and potency.
Masala Chai