Green cardamom

Green cardamom has aromas of eucalyptus and camphor. Its very ripe citrus fruity notes are perfect with Asian and Oriental dishes.

Once ground, this spice will enchant carrot mash, chicken tagine with crunchy vegetables, almond and anise cake or fish served with sauce. It can also be used infused in tea or coffee to add a spicy touch.

Best ground with a pestle and mortar to release its full flavour. You can grind both the whole pod or just the seeds.

Green cardamom comes from the rhizome Elettaria cardamom which originally came from the Malabar coast in India. It was introduced to North America at the beginning of the 20th century. The name of its botanical species "elettaria" means "cardamom seed" in Tamil. It comes from the  same botanical genus as ginger, turmeric and Ethiopian Korarima .

Nowadays green cardamom is grown in Guatemala, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, Salvador, Tanzania, Honduras and Thailand.

It is not to be confused with black cardamom which not only looks and tastes different but also has a different botanical name.