Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Spice guide to Cardamom along with all the Cardamom containing recipes presented on this site, with 489 recipes in total.

This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.

These recipes, all contain as a major flavouring.

Cardamoms are members of the ginger family, the Zingiberaceae and both the entire seed pods and the seeds themselves can be used as a spice. Although Indian greed cardamom (sometimes known as 'True Cardamom') is by far the most familiar, there are in fact five related species, distributed from Africa to Australasia, that yield four separate and distinct spices, with distinct yet overlapping sensory qualities.

Cardamom (green cardamom in this case) was known in Ancient Greece as an expensive trade item, which they knew of as kardamomon [καρδάμωμον]. They also had amomon [ἄμωμον], an aromatic spice that was similar to cardamom. The origins of both names are uncertain and they were adapted wholesale into Latin as cardamomum and amomum, where cardamomum represents green cardamom. Contemporary authors mention amomum as being similar to cardamom. In all likelihood, amomum refers to a lesser grade of cardamom that might well be what we know of as black cardamom.

It is from the Latin cardamomum that forms the basis for the names of cardamom in the majority European languages. Cardamom is often referred to as the world's third most expansive spice (after saffron and vanilla) and this represents the esteem with which cardamom is still held, with its blend of fragrance and spice, making it an useful spice in both sweet and savoury dishes.

Below the main cardamom types are described and links to recipes employing cardamom as a dominant flavouring are given.

Alligator Pepper











Alligator Pepper (also known as Mbongo Spice, Hepper Pepper) is a West African spice obtained from one of the plants Aframomum danielli, Aframomum citratum or Aframomum exscapum (generally the commonest) which gives pungent, peppery flavour. These plants are herbaceous perennials of the ginger family and, like the Grains of Paradise, below, they are natives of swampy habitats along the West African coast. Unlike Grains of Paradise, however, the whole pod is sold and once opened the reason for the spice's common name of 'alligator pepper' is revealed as the individual seeds have a papery skin covering them and it's this that yields an alligator skin-like appearance leading to the common name. In this respect Alligator Pepper differs from Grains of Paradise and this is the best way of separating the two cardamom types. Alligator Pepper is a common spice in West African cuisine where it adds both heat and a spicy aroma to the classic 'soups' (stews) of the region. As 'Mbongo spice' it is often sold as the grains themselves, devoid of the outer coat and the papery skin. Mbongo spice is most commonly either Aframomum danielli or Aframomum citratum and has a more floral aroma than Aframomum exscapum. Alligator pepper is a hot and warm spice but with an edge of bitterness. Like the related grains of paradise (see below), the essential oil from grains of paradise is dominated by the sesqui­terpene hydro­carbons humulene, α- and β-caryo­phyllene (together 83%) and their oxides (together 9%). In the acetone extract of grains or paradise from Ghana, the following hydroxyaryl­alkanones were found: 1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy­phenyl)-decan-3-one (called (6)-paradole), 1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy­phenyl)-3-hendecan-3-one (called (7)-paradole) and 1-(4-hydroxy-3-methox­yphenyl)-3-deca-4-ene-3-one (called (6)-shoagole) in approximately equal parts. There is more than a little confusion regarding the naming of Alligator Pepper. In many references you will see Alligator Pepper as a synonym of Grains of Paradise. However, in Cameroonian cuisine you will see references to a spice known as atzoh and in Nigeria you will see a spice known as mbongo. This spice is what the Igbo peoples of Nigeria call, in English, Alligator pepper. It is distinct from Grains of Paradise and comes from different species. As a result, I have used Alligator Pepper to represent only that spice that is so important to Igbo culture.







Black Cardamom











Black cardamom (also known as: Kravan, Java cardamom, Bengal cardamom, Siamese cardamom, Nepal cardamom, Greater Indian cardamom, brown cardamom, white or red cardamom) represents the seed pod of Amomum subulatum or Amomum tsao-ko, plants in the genus Amomum. This plant is distributed mainly in Asia and Australia with Amomum subulatum (also known as Nepal cardamom) bearing smaller pods that are primarily used in the cuisines of India whilst Amomum tsao-ko has larger pods that are most notably used in the cuisine of the Sichuan province of China. The seed pods are black, hence the name and they have an intense smoky and slightly earthy flavour which is distinctly different from green cardamom and they are only ever used in savory dishes. This is a very important spice in Indian cuisine where it is generally used in savoury dishes and pickles. Like green cardamom either the entire seed pod or just the seeds themselves can be used. In comparison with green cardamon the black cardamom pods are about five times as large. Black cardamom has a fresh and aromatic aroma. Camphor is easily discernible in its odour. By virtue of the traditional drying procedure over open flames, the spice also acquires a strong smoky flavour. The seeds contain 3% of an essential oil, which is dominated by 1,8-cineol (typically 70%). Smaller and variable amounts of α-terpinyl acetate, limonene, terpinene, terpineol and sabinene have also been reported. A subulatum is native to the Eastern Himalayas; the main production regions are Eastern Nepal, India (mostly in the tiny union state Sikkim) and Bhutan. More than 50% of the world’s harvest are produced in India. This is a very important spice in Indian cuisine where it is generally used in savoury dishes and pickles and is an important ingredient in the aromatic spice blend, Garam Masala it is also often added to lentil dishes. Like green cardamom either the entire seed pod or just the seeds themselves can be used (the whole pod lends a smoky flavour to dishes and enhances the flavour of curries, soups and stews). They also make useful additions to barbecue sauces. In comparison with green cardamon the black cardamom pods are about five times as large. In Sichuan cuisine, the pods of Amomum costatum are typically used for flavouring long-braised meat dishes. Ground black peppercorns are also sometimes added (as an optional ingredient) to the classic Chinese five-spice blend. Often black cardamom is described as an inferior substitute for green cardamom. This erroneous observation may have come about due to the price differential between the spices and the fact that some bakers do use cheaper black cardamom as a substitute for green cardamom. However, looking at Indian cookery (where both spices are used), it can be seen that black cardamom (which is more robust in terms of flavour profile) tends to be used in spicier or more rustic dishes whereas green cardamom is used in more fragrant and subtly spiced dishes. Both spices have distinct places in cookery.







Ethiopian Cardamom











Ethiopain cardamom (also known as: False Cardamom, korerima [Ethiopia]) represents the seed pod of Aframomum corrorima, a member of the Aframomum family of the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family of flowering plants. The spice used represents the dried seeds of the plants (the seed pod and dried seeds are shown in the image presented here). The plant itself grows wild in native forests and originates from a region that encompasses western Ethiopia, northern Tanzania, south-western Sudan and western Uganda. Often it is collected in the wild, but it is cultivated in both Ethiopia and Eritrea. The spice has a fiery taste, with a floral aroma. The aftertaste is hot but mellow, but with a bitter undertone. It is a feature of, and is used extensively in, Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisines (see the recipes section) and is an ingredient in Berbere spice mix, various stews, some breads and is also used to flavour coffee. It is used in the same way that the closely related Grains of Paradise or Alligator pepper are used in West Africa. Indeed, in traditional medicine it is used as a tonic, a carminative (to combat flatulence) and a laxative.







Grains of Paradise











Grains of Paradise (also known as Guinea pepper, Melegueta pepper and Guinea grains) is a West African spice obtained from the plant Aframomum melegueta which gives pungent, peppery flavour. The plant is an herbaceous perennial and native to swampy habitats along the West African coast. Its trumpet-shaped, purple flowers develop into 5 to 7 cm long pods containing numerous small, reddish-brown seeds. Grains of paradise are commonly employed in the cooking styles of West Africa and also North Africa, where they have been traditionally imported via caravan routes through the Sahara desert. In Europe, they enjoyed a short-lived popularity in the late 13th and early 14th century, when Portuguese sailors reached West Africa in their first steps to establish a sea route to India (the spice was named grana paradisi 'grains of paradise' due to their high value). Unlike the other cardamoms this spice is most readily attained in seed rather than whole pod form. Up to the end of the 15th century, Grains of Paradise were traded in Europe as an alternative to black pepper and the coast of West Africa was known as the 'pepper coast' for this reason. Even when black pepper became more common and ousted grains of paradise as the favourite kitchen spice, grains of paradise were still employed as a common flavouring in beers. They have a fiery, rather peppery taste and a great ‘cardamom-like’ aroma (as one might expect from the familial relationship). For seasoning use as you would black pepper. It is also one of the crucial ingredients in the classic Tunisian five-spice blend. The essential oil from grains of paradise is dominated by the sesqui­terpene hydro­carbons humulene, α- and β-caryo­phyllene (together 83%) and their oxides (together 9%). In the acetone extract of grains or paradise from Ghana, the following hydroxyaryl­alkanones were found: 1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy­phenyl)-decan-3-one (called (6)-paradole), 1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy­phenyl)-3-hendecan-3-one (called (7)-paradole) and 1-(4-hydroxy-3-methox­yphenyl)-3-deca-4-ene-3-one (called (6)-shoagole) in approximately equal parts. The plant is native to West Africa and Ghana is the largest producer. It was a much sought after spice in the European middle ages, but subsequently was supplanted by black pepper and chillies. Outside West Africa, grains of paradise remain important in the cuisines of Morocco and Tunisia (where it's used in an aromatic spice blend called gâlat dagga).







Green Cardamom











Green Cardamom (also known as 'True Cardamom') is the seed pod of the plant Elettaria cardamomum. This is a native of southeastern Asia from India south to Sri Lanka and east to Malaysia and western Indonesia, where it grows in tropical rainforests. It is a pungent aromatic herbaceous perennial plant growing to 2–4 m in height. The leaves are alternate in two ranks, linear-lanceolate, 40-60 cm long, with a long pointed tip. The flowers are white to lilac or pale violet, produced in a loose spike 30-60 cm long. The fruit is a three-sided yellow-green pod 1-2 cm long, containing several black seeds contained in three linked ranks. For use as a spice, green seed pods of the plant are dried and the seeds inside the pod are employed in Indian and other Asian cuisines either whole or in a ground form. Ground cardamom is an ingredient in many Indian curries, and is a primary contributor to the flavour of masala chai. In the Middle East and Iran, cardamom is used to flavour coffee and tea. Cardamom can also be used to flavour milk in the generation of custards and cakes. Indeed, unlike all the other cardamoms described above, green cardamom is the only one used in both sweet and savory dishes. Seed pods from India are typically smaller than from other countries, however they are more aromatic and thus more prized. Cardamom is typically sold in pod form. Ground cardamom is of much poorer quality, as the aromatic compounds that give cardamom its unique flavour are volatile and are lost quickly on grinding. It is always better to use freshly-ground cardamom. India is, by far, the largest producer of cardamom, yet almost all the production is used domestically. As a result Guatemala is now the world's largest producer for export. It should be noted that Siam cardamom Amomum krervanh is typically used in the cuisines of Thailand and Cambodia (but the flavour profile is very similar to that of green cardamom). Java cardamom Amomum compactum is used in the cuisines of Indonesia. In recipes from these regions, when 'cardamom' is mentioned, then the native cardamom is referred to. However, in both these cases green cardamom makes a near-indistinguishable substitute. The seed pods are usually used for infusion and subsequently removed. The seeds can be isolated by crushing the pods and then separating the seeds. In terms of flavour green cardamom is warm with pleasant slightly bitter/sweet aroma. It is used in many North Indian dishes and is suitable for both sweet and savory dishes, as you will see from the links to the recipes given below. Cardamom is the world's third most expensive spice after saffron and vanilla.