Cardamom – the New Cinnamon
Cardamom deserves more love as a seasoning for baking. It is unique yet versatile, warming and rich, suitable for both sweet and savory dishes. While you may not have cooked with cardamom yet, you’ve probably tried it before, hidden in a sauce or mixed into dough, and wondered exactly how the chef achieved such a special taste. Cinnamon always has a place in our closets, but it’s time to make room for another one and a half inch spice jar.
What does cardamom taste like?
Cardamom is a green pod with small black seeds. You can usually buy the spice in three different forms: the dried pod with the whole seeds, the unground black seeds, or the black seeds ground into a powder. Depending on how you cook with it, you may need all three preparations. The taste of cardamom is unusual, but when you try it, you get the feeling that you see an old friend. I’ll tell you as a spice sommelier: floral with hints of evergreens, full-bodied, with a soft menthol aftertaste.
Its use in various dishes is amazing, and cardamom really pairs well with other spices. While cardamom is good on its own, it can also be a powerful flavor filler behind other spices. Used all over the world for both sweet and savory dishes, you can find it in hearty, warming recipes such as Indian murg masala , Thai massaman , Nigerian puff , and Swedish kardemummabullar .
Where to start acquaintance with the “queen of spices”
Cinnamon, apple, and cardamom are great partners, and if you’re not used to working with the “queen of spices,” I suggest you start there. If you’re making apple cinnamon pie, add cardamom powder as well; or take a leap of faith and replace the cinnamon with cardamom. You won’t be disappointed. Anyone experimenting with cardamom should start with half the amount given in the recipe in ground cinnamon. Cardamom may seem strong at first, so if a cinnamon bun recipe calls for two tablespoons of cinnamon, use one tablespoon of cardamom whether you’re substituting the spice or adding it along with the cinnamon.
For a light, sweet topping, make this cardamom sugar to sprinkle on buttered toast , press into cookie dough, or blend into rice pudding or oatmeal. Place both ingredients in a bowl and mix, or for easy storage, pour them into a jar with a lid and shake. I love to dip my butter cookie base recipe in this cardamom sugar for a delicious coffee treat.
How to make cardamom sugar
Ingredients:
- ΒΌ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground green cardamom
Place both ingredients in a container and mix until smooth. Sprinkle everything from ice cream to apple pancakes.