Green Cardamom

Whole green cardamom, the base spice for chai, curry and coffee

Green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) is one of the noblest and most aromatic spices in the world. The green pods contain small, intensely fragrant seeds with an aroma that is at once savoury, lightly citrus and eucalyptus-like. Packed in our workshop in Klingenberg am Main.

How to use

A base spice for Indian masala chai crack the pods in a mortar and cook them in milk together with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and black tea. For curries, biryanis and lentil dishes, sweat the whole pods along. It aromatises coffee, pastries, gingerbread, rice dishes and meat marinades. Ground in a mortar, also in oriental spice blends such as ras el hanout and baharat.

Good to know: keep the pods whole where possible and store them cool, dry and dark in the sealed tin, this preserves the essential oil for a long time. Open and grind only just before use.

Tip from Altes Gewürzamt

Crack the pods and grind only the seeds, cook the husk separately for extra aroma. For coffee, put the seeds straight into the grinder and grind them together with the coffee. Use sparingly, just a few pods shape a whole dish.

At a glance

• Green cardamom pods in workshop quality
• From Guatemala, packed in Klingenberg am Main
• No flavour enhancers, anti-caking agents or additives
• Versatile for chai, curry, coffee and pastries

Goes well with

For chai and oriental blends: cloves, cinnamon bark, cinnamon blossom and cardamom seed. For Indian curries: Garam Masala and Vadouvan. For pastries: Lebanon spiced sugar and the Granite Mortar Gigant for fresh grinding.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use cardamom for masala chai?
Lightly crack 4 to 6 cardamom pods in a mortar, briefly bring to the boil with a cinnamon stick, 4 cloves and 1 cm of ginger in 400 ml water. Stir in 2 tsp black tea, let it steep for 2 minutes, add 200 ml whole milk, heat again, strain and sweeten.

Should I use the pods whole or ground?
Whole in curries and rice dishes to sweat along. Cracked for tea and pastries. Ground, seeds only, for coffee, marinades and finely balanced blends where the husk is not suitable.

How does green cardamom differ from black?
Green cardamom is fine and floral-citrus, the standard variant. Black cardamom is noticeably smokier and stronger, more suited to braises and game.

How do I store green cardamom correctly?
Keep whole pods cool, dry and dark in the sealed tin and open and grind them only just before use, this preserves the essential oil for a long time.