INFO: Cardamom

Dried Cardamom

Cardamom is the world's third most expensive spice (after saffron and vanilla). Just as saffron must be pulled thread by thread, each pod of cardamom is hand-picked. However, it's not nearly as expensive as the top two spices. A pound of cardamom pods will cost you $25-30, while a pound of Madagascar vanilla beans will cost you $350 and a pound of spanish saffron would cost you $1500.

Cardamom is native to the mountains of southwest India and could be found only in that region until 1900, when German immigrants brought it to Guatemala, which is now the largest exporter. India remains the largest producer, but due to large domestic demand, most Indian-produced cardamom stays in the country.

According to Harold McGee, the word "cardamom" comes from an Arabic root that means "to warm." However, most other sources list the etymology as Greek: kardamomon, coming from a combination of "kard" (a type of cress) and amomon (an Indian spice). The genus name, Elettaria, comes from the hindi name, "elaichi."

Nordic countries make up 10% of the market for cardamom, using it in baked goods. The largest consumers are Arab countries, which make up 80% of the market for cardamom. Arabs use cardamom to make coffee, called gahwa, which is made by boiling together freshly roasted and ground coffee with freshly broken green cardamom pods.

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