The most widely celebrated of all the spices are cardamom pods which belong to the ginger family. It is the fruit of a plant which is tropical and it is coveted as one of the most expensive species of plants grown in the world, trailing behind vanilla and saffron. The type of agriculture used for growing cardamom pods is labour intensive and it is grown as a flower ranging for about three quarters of a year. The seeds which are present within each cardamom are the spice which is responsible for all the aroma and flavours
Types Of Cardamom:
Post the harvesting of the cardamom plant, the pods are washed with water and subjected to drying. The way in which the pods are dried up is responsible for adding the final tinge of colour in the cardamom pods. White pods are the ones which have been let out in the sun for many days which results in a bleached kind of look. Green pods are the ones that are dried for just a single night and have been left inside a room with high temperature.
Cardamom Used For Cooking:
The cardamom pods are used in a variety of dishes in order to add a hue of flavour and aroma. It can be used in the preparation of meat and baked goods. The most common usage of cardamom pods is that in hot beverages such as tea and coffees. The distinctive flavour present in the tea is due to the presence of cardamom.
Cardamom can be purchased from the market in multiple forms- as whole cardamom or seeds separated. It can also be purchased in the grounded form but these variants cannot be stored for much longer.
Apart from cooking the cardamom pods can also be used in tinctures and infusions. The oil of cardamom is also used to add fragrance in various products used for body care.
