As old as civilization itself, Cardamom always has been and still is one of the world’s most expensive spices.

Today, cardamom is most popular in the cooking of India, Iran, Morocco, and the Arab nations. It is a key ingredient in the Moroccan spice mix ras-el-hanout and the well-known Indian mix garam masala. If you have never smelled a cardamom pod, you haven’t experienced the spice’s true aroma. As a spice, it is quite versatile and can go with almost any sweet or savory dish. You can also add 2-3 green cardamom pods (bruised/crushed) to your tea. Just brew it with any tea. Sprinkle ground cardamom and a little sugar on grapefruit. Add a half teaspoon of ground cardamom to gingerbread, vanilla cupcake or chocolate cake recipe. 

The seeds of seven cardamom pods are equivalent of one teaspoon of ground cardamom.