Wednesday, March 08, 2006

What Are Those Things?

I picked up a big fat bag of these things today at Giant. I'm really looking forward to two recipes in which I will be using them. But for now...What Are They?








Cardamom is the name for a plant species and its seeds which is native to India and Southeast Asia. Cardamom belongs to the family Zingiberaceae. True cardamom is classified as Elettaria cardamomum. It grows to about 10 feet (3m) in height. Cardamom has large leaves and white flowers with blue stripes and yellow borders. The fruit is a small capsule with 8 to 16 brown seeds. The seeds are used as a spice and the plant itself is a perennial herb. It has a fleshy and thick rootstock with flowering stems that extend 6 to 12 feet (1.83 to 3.6m) high.

Cardamom is pungent and aromatic. It was first used in India and was probably imported into Europe around A.D. 1214. Today, it is cultivated in Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Central America, Thailand, Guatemala and Mexico.

Cardamom is typically sold in seed pods, or with the seeds removed from the pods (decorticated) or with the seeds ground to a powder, which is the most common form. Pods have the texture of tough paper and are available whole or split. It is best to buy the whole pod, otherwise it may quickly lose flavor.

Cardamom is a favorite herb in India, where it grows wild in the forests. Indian cardamom comes in two main varieties; Mysore cardamom and Malabar cardamom. The Mysore cardamom contains more limeonene and cineol, making it the most aromatic.

This ancient herb has traditionally had many uses. Ancient Egyptians are known to have chewed cardamom as a tooth cleaner; The Greeks and Romans used cardamom as a scent in perfume. The Vikings discovered it in Constantinople about a thousand years ago. They introduced cardamom to Scandinavia where it remains popular to this day.

Cardamom, like Saffron, in an expensive spice. As such, it is frequently adulterated. Many inferior substitutes for it exist, such as Nepal cardamom, Siam cardamom, winged Java cardamom and a variety called bastard cardamom.

Stolen from this site.


The photo is Green Cardamom.

3 comments:

ScottE. said...

On a related Cardamom note. There is a new coffee shop in town. Exxon Juan Valdez...no, Juan Valdez. It's on the corner of 7th and E NW. Across the street from Starbucks. This makes me happy, an alternative to Starbucks. They are new, they have some staffing/service issues to work out, but their coffee is good without having what I describe as a 'burnt' & 'bitter' taste that Starbucks has. How it relates....? They have a Cardamom Coffee. You can get a small coffee with Cardamom, that they put through a few grinds on the mortar & pestle, the put into a cup and regular house coffee poured on top of that. It's a tasty treat...and the aroma is indulgent. It's a steal at only $1.55 for a small coffee.

I like the space, there is room to sit and you don't feel cramped. They do offer free WiFi service as well. I haven't tried it out, but it's there...and their sweets are alright. I've been in there maybe 10 times since they opened and outside of the staffing/service issues that should be worked on, I give two thumbs up.

Now, if they could just get a Caribou Coffee, then we'd be set. Oh, and just a few doors down in the newly named Verizon Center, there is going to be yet another new coffee shop.

In my best Beavis and Butthead voices..."yeah yeah uh uh uh yeah yeah coffee's good."

Lady Brandenburg said...

Very interesting... cardamom in coffee? What taste can you compare it to...?

ScottE. said...

It's like a Chai Tea but Chai Coffee...without some of the extra spices in it...floral and spicy, peppery, making you nose tickle.