What is cardamom?

Cardamom is the fruit of a perennial herb related to ginger originally from India.  Cardamom pods have seeds which provide aroma and flavor.  Cardamom is mainly of two kinds--green and black.  Cardamom has a sweet-spicy, pungent, aroma.  It is often used in Indian cuisine, Middle Eastern cuisine and Scandinavian food.  It is the third most expensive spice in the world.

Cardamom is the dried, unripened fruit of the perennial plant species Elettaria cardamomum. Enclosed in the fruit pods are tiny, brown, aromatic seeds, which are both pungent and sweet to the taste. Cardamom pods are generally green but are also available in a bleached white form. Cardamom is available both as a whole pod and as seeds that have had the outer hull removed.

Several species in the Zingiberaceae (ginger) plant family are used like "true" cardamom. In general, species in the Aframomum genus are used as a spice. Elettaria species are used both as a spice and as medicine, and Amomum species are used as an ingredient in several traditional medicines in China, India, Korea, and Vietnam.

Cardamom has been used traditionally to help digestion and relieve gas. It has also been used as a stimulant, breath freshener, and aphrodisiac.

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True cardamom (Elettaria cardamom) is a perennial plant with simple erect stems (or canes) that can reach a height of 10 to 12 feet. The small, green fruit contains up to eighteen seeds. The seeds are polygonal with flat sides and are used whole or ground as a spice. Cardamom tastes like an airy, gentle ginger with a touch of pine.