Black Cardamom Pods

Black cardamom is a profoundly aromatic spice. It’s the key to having a fantastic smoky flavour in your dishes. It has a very different taste from green cardamom; although they share a menthol aroma, Black Cardamom has a smoky, woody undertone with a brash and bold flavour. You can get notes of resin, eucalyptus and slightly minty aromas from it.

Like every spice, place Black Cardamom Pods in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight and open air.

 

General Information

Black Cardamom Pods are much larger than green cardamom pods. They have tough, dried, wrinkly skin with a brown/black colour. They are almost 1 inch long and contain tiny, sticky, dark-coloured seeds, from which most of the Black Cardamom’s flavour comes. Although the smoky aroma only belongs to the skin.

Black cardamom is originally from northeast India. Black cardamom pods are dried over an open fire for days; therefore, they get a smoky flavour. The Pods are dark brown coloured with a tough, wrinkly, dry skin containing black seeds.

It has an intense flavour with traces of citrus and eucalyptus. It goes well with most whole grains, meats, fish, legumes, lentils, rice and other spices.

 

Best ways to use Black Cardamom

Black Cardamom is a handy spice. It pairs well with other flavoured herbs such as cinnamon, green cardamom, dry chillies, turmeric, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. These comestibles are also well paired with Black Cardamom: chicken, curry, egg, ginger, lamb, soups, stews, orange and red vegetables. You can use it whole or ground.

Black Cardamom Pods are best when added whole and removed before serving to prevent bitter bites. You can fry Black Cardamom Pods in a bit of oil to get the best flavour out of it. It would act better in long-cooked dishes in a moist environment. You can also crush the pods slightly to relieve the seeds before adding them to a recipe.

If the recipe calls for Black Cardamom powder, crack the pod, remove the skin and grind the seeds in a clean, dry coffee grinder and use immediately. But keep in mind that the seeds don’t have much smoky flavour. And be attentive while using Black Cardamom powder, it has even more flavour and aroma, and the wrong amount of it might ruin your food.

You can add Black Cardamom to rice, pot roast, dry rubs and sauces for braised meat. It would add a touch of smoke, and it is not simply identifiable. 

 

Storage

Keep Black Cardamom Pods in an airtight container away from direct sunlight and open-air in a dry and cool place. Black Cardamom would retain its flavour for a year if stored properly.

Do not add this spice with other whole spices such as green cardamom. They are different spices with different flavours and aromas.