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November 2004
A Matter of Taste - Cardamom
When I started Burrows Bay Herbs and Spices almost 10 years ago I was an avid cook, but I had yet to encounter cardamom. I remember clearly opening the first shipment of herbs and spices from one of my suppliers; I was practically knocked over by the heady aroma. This was the first time that I had encountered really fresh herbs and spices in anything other than a small glass bottle. As I dug deeper into the rather large box I identified a wonderful and unfamiliar fragrance. It turned out to be ground cardamom. It is a magic carpet or your senses, leading you by the nose to foreign lands.
I am hard-pressed to describe just what cardamom smells like because it isn’t like anything else. It’s deeper than clove and sharper than cinnamon but without the bite of ginger and yet to my nose it has notes of all of those spices. It’s flavor is so pronounced that it can stand alone, as in the cardamom-scented coffee served to guests in north Africa. Yet it plays well with other spices in the complex flavor palettes of the Indian subcontinent, as in the classic chai spice blend that enhances tea and the many varieties of curry and masala. Cardamom is one of those spices that cross the sweet/savory boundary between desserts and main dishes.
The plant that gives us cardamom is native to the jungles of southern India; it is in the same family as ginger. Because of the expense of cultivation and processing, cardamom is the third most expensive spice. Fortunately, a little goes a long way. One fourth to one half a teaspoon in a batch of sugar cookies or a basic pound cake will transform an every day treat into an exotic experience.
It is especially interesting to me that half of the world’s production of cardamom is consumed in two very different parts of the world: the Near East and Scandinavia. In India the seeds are munched after meals as a digestive aid, often with candied fennel seeds. This is an example of folk wisdom based on plant chemistry; the terpenes found in both cardamom (and ginger) are good for controlling nausea. In Scandinavia cardamom is used in breads and pastry and as a breath freshener; the lemon- and camphor-based essential oils make it a natural for all these uses.
I can hear you now, “Please, Gloria. No more chemistry!” I’m sorry; I see chemistry everywhere and I love it. The whole world of herbs and spices is like an edible science project to me.
At Burrows Bay Herbs and Spices you will find cardamom in three forms: whole green pods, dark brown seeds and ground. Use the ground form for its convenience and use it within the year. The whole pods are nice for flavoring a pot of coffee or tea; one or two pods will do nicely. Look for green pods rather than bleached pods; drying in the sun for days causes loss of color and flavor.
Traditional Scandinavian bakers will buy the pods and break them open to get the seeds, which they will crush as they use them; this preserves the intensity of the flavor. Buying the seeds saves a little time, but still gives excellent flavor and fragrance. Ten of the green pods will yield enough seeds to produce about ½ teaspoon of ground heaven. As always, store pods, seeds or the ground spice in a cool, dark, dry place.
Here’s an idea for a cold weather dessert; the fragrance while it bakes will warm your heart.
Chai Spiced Baked Pears
Make a thin syrup with 1 cup water + ¼ cup honey heated until thoroughly dissolved. Add the spices below and heat, but don’t boil, for 2 minutes.
1 - 3 inch cinnamon stick
8 whole cloves
5 black peppercorns
6 green cardamom pods
(This is the proportion of spices that I prefer; you may adjust the blend to suit your taste buds.)
Spoon this spiced syrup over 4 ripe winter pears that you have peeled, halved and cored and placed in a shallow glass baking dish. Spoon the syrup over the pears 3 or 4 times during the baking. Bake at 350 oF until the pears are tender, about 30 minutes depending on size and firmness. Serve warm.
I like this with vanilla bean ice cream, but then I like everything that way! Enjoy.
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