Cardamom - what is it? This question can not be answered by all people who are fond of cooking. But still, this spice is worth considering in more detail. Cardamom, the use of which is also of considerable interest to those who want to deepen their knowledge of seasonings, is of eastern origin. It was used in antiquity for the preparation of incense - even Theophrastus mentioned it. In his work, which was written shortly after the return of
Alexander the Great from India, Theophrastus devoted many pages to Indian spices, describing them in detail. Cardamom was no exception. What is this, the ancient scientist presented very vaguely. But he was not lazy to supplement his story with fictional details.
Cardamom - what is it?
This spice is still widespread in world cuisine. It is mainly important for baking, sweets, a variety of desserts and sugary drinks. The strong and pleasant aroma that cardamom has (photos show only its nondescript appearance), causes a feeling of warmth, and there are notes of freshness in it.
The latter are successfully emphasized by the addition of not very sweet spices, such as zira, coriander and some others. Cardamom boxes are collected unripe when they have not yet had time to darken. The green color of the shells is a very important sign of quality spice. Therefore, for its preservation, cardamom is treated with
soda ash, and then dried in special ovens. There is disagreement among experts regarding whether essential oil is present in the shells of grains. Some believe that he is not there at all. Others say that it is contained, but in smaller quantities. Cardamom shells emit a faint aroma. They can be used to scare away moths, like lavender. They can also flavor sugar or herbal teas. Seeds have a much more burning taste and aroma. Sometimes cardamom is bleached. Some people prefer the green version of this spice.
A little more interesting about cardamom and its use
There are two more subspecies of this spice. One of them is called "heavenly grains", and the other is black cardamom. Both are much more burning than regular cardamom. What is it and what are the features of these spices can be imagined by imagining the aroma, average between the smell of ginger and black pepper. In their seeds a greater number of tarry notes. This gives them specificity and makes them less popular. Cardamom is often used in spice mixtures made in North Africa.
For example, in Morocco it is used for the production of liquors and balms with complex aromas. In Nepal and India, this spice is very often also an integral part of various mixtures. In Southeast Asia, young shoots and cardamom leaves are used as food. They are added to rice dishes for flavoring. The fruits there are the cure. The most traditional use of cardamom in Thai cuisine is in desserts. Along with star anise. In Europe, cardamom is traditionally a component of winter warming drinks. For example mulled wine.