All about this warming spice and its many uses.
Its popping up in both sweet and savory recipes, and some stores have even spotlighted the spice.
What Is Cardamom?
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Its warming, so it has a bit of spice, but its sweet, too.
It has notes of pepper and mint, and its slightly bitter and earthy.
The sweet side provides floral, citrus, and herbal notes.
Cardamom is labor intensive to produce, making it pricier and therefore less common compared toother spices.
They differ in appearance, flavor, where and how theyre produced, and how theyre used.
Heres what each key in tastes like and how its used:
What Is Cardamom Used For?
Though it has a unique and complex flavor, cardamom is a versatile spice.
Youll also find cardamom inchai, an Indian spiced tea served hot or cold.
In Middle Eastern cuisine, cardamom is used to add flavor to coffee, meat, and desserts.
Some Middle Eastern desserts, such as baklava and milk pudding, also call for cardamom.
On the sweet side, cardamom is commonly used in Scandinavian baked goods and desserts.
Its found in cardamom buns, Norwegian julekake (Christmas bread), cookies, and more.
Its also a prominent ingredient in glogg, a Scandinavian mulled wine.
Ground cardamom is sold at most supermarkets for easy access to the spice.
it’s possible for you to lightly toast cardamom pods and add them to your dish to impart flavor.
Thesesnowball cookiesare spiced with cardamom, cloves,cinnamon, and ginger, giving them a cool wintery flavor.
It also pairs well with apple-flavored treats in the fall, such asthis apple crisp.
With its subtle sweetness, cardamom is even used in some beverages.
A simple chai is an easy way to introduce yourself to the spice.
Cardamom Substitutes
With its complex flavor profile, its difficult to find a perfect substitute for cardamom.
Since its part of the ginger family, ginger is one of the best substitutes for cardamom.
you might also consider cloves or allspice for sweet recipes, and coriander for savory dishes.
