Cardamom Pods, Green

An ancient spice native to India. In India, green cardamom is used as an important ingredient in meat and vegetable dishes. In the Middle East the seeds are mixed with coffee beans before brewing. Other uses are cakes, cookies, muffins, and buns. Green cardamom is preferred in India and the Middle East. Cardamom is a pod consisting of an outer shell with little flavor, and tiny inner seeds with intense flavor. Green pods have no splits or cracks in the shell, so the flavor keeps well. Ground cardamom has a strong flavor and is easy to use, especially in baking.