What Is Cardamom? All of Our Best Ways to Use the Magical Spice

One of the most complex and deep flavors in my spice cabinet is cardamom. Found in a variety of cuisines around the world from Middle Eastern to Indian to Scandinavian, cardamom can enhance both sweets, like sweet buns, and savory dishes like tandoori chicken. This versatile spice can also be found in staple blends like garam masala, spicy berbere, and aromatic baharat. But, what is cardamom exactly? And how do you use it? Here, we break down everything you need to know about this popular spice.

The flavor of cardamom is complex and a little hard to explain. It has a floral, earthy flavor that works well in both sweet and savory applications. That said, the flavor of cardamom can be quite strong, so a little goes a long way.

When shopping for cardamom, you may notice that it is sold three different ways, as whole pods, as seeds, and ground. All cardamom starts as a pod, which contains the seeds. Whole cardamom pods are used primarily to infuse flavor, by toasting, blooming in oil, or adding to broth or cooking liquid. 

Cardamom seeds are dried and sold whole or ground. Purchasing cardamom seeds is a good way to preserve their flavor for longer than pre-ground cardamom. Similar to black pepper, cardamom seeds contain flavorful oils that are released when ground. Purchasing whole seeds and grinding them as needed — in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle — helps preserve the most concentrated flavor. Ground cardamom is made of dried seeds that have been pre-ground.

This is the most common variety of cardamom found in the U.S. It has the most-balanced flavor for both sweet and savory applications and is considered the best “all-purpose” cardamom variety. Green cardamom is available both as whole pods and ground. You might also see some cardamom marketed as “white,” which is actually green cardamom that has been bleached for use in light-colored baked goods. While they won’t add color to dishes, they’ll also add less flavor as the bleaching process leeches it away. 

Black cardamom, also referred to as “large cardamom,” has slightly larger pods than the green variety and are dark brown in color. It has a slightly smokier flavor than green cardamom as it’s often dried over open fire, making it a good choice for savory applications over sweet.

Ground cardamom is made from the seeds of green cardamom. While it’s undeniably convenient to use pre-ground spices, the flavor of cardamom fades quickly after grinding. Purchasing whole pods or seeds and grinding them as needed is the best way to get the most flavor from cardamom.

Cardamom has a complex flavor that is difficult to mimic. Other warm spices like ground ginger, ground cloves, or ground allspice can be used alone or in combination to approximate the flavor of cardamom.

You can use cardamom in both savory dishes, like curries, dry rubs, and rice dishes or sweet ones like baked goods and hot drinks. 

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