Cardamom
Cardamom is an evergreen, perennial plant that resembles ginger. It has thick rhizomes and upright stems bearing fruiting, pointed leaves. It grows to a height of about 2 to 2.5 meters and has low-growing, fan-like branches. Cardamom grows in pods on the stems at the base of the plant. As it grows, white flowers with a pink to violet stripe form.
Characteristics of cardamom
The pods are dried after harvest and turn a dull green. They are 1.5 to 2 cm long. Cardamom pods have a ribbed exterior and contain seeds about 3 mm in size, housed in three chambers within the pod. The seeds are ground and used as ground cardamom; the pods are sometimes also used whole in cooking.
Cardamom plants grow primarily in higher, shady areas near tropical rainforests with relatively high rainfall. These conditions are found primarily in Southeast Asia and Central America. Verstegen's cardamom comes from Guatemala.
The use of cardamom in the kitchen
Cardamom is used in many dishes to add a refined flavor, for example, to roasted ground meat and cooked sausages. It's also a common spice in many Eastern and African dishes. Cardamom has a very distinctive flavor. If you use too much, it will create a dominant, perfume-like aftertaste. The flavor of cardamom is aromatic, warm, and perfumey. It pairs well with sweet dishes, but is also excellent in a stew.
