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.

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.

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.

At a glance

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use cardamom for masala chai?
Lightly crack 4–6 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 isn't 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.