Cardamom, an amazing spice
The word cardamom designates both the plant and the spice it produces. This perennial aromatic spice – from the same family as ginger and turmeric - appears in the form of a large root, called a rhizome, and large leafy stems. When its fruits are harvested, they look nothing like the cardamom that we find on our plate! They evoke a large green capsule, which contains the small black seeds with the powerful scent that we know.
India, the birthplace of cardamom
The cardamom is originally fromIndia and more particularly the region of Kerala and the Malabar Coast, famous for their magnificent hilly and green landscapes, as well as for their tea plantations as far as the eye can see. Fond of altitude and hot, humid climates, this spice is now also cultivated in other Asian countries, such as Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Cambodia. If this spice seems to have existed since the dawn of time in the Indian pharmacopoeia, it was only introduced later in Europe, where the Greeks and Romans used it to enhance their perfumes and their cuisine. In the 15th century, the discovery of the Route to the Indies finally allowed Europeans to directly import spices, and in particular pepper, cinnamon, cloves and… cardamom.
Aromatic power
Harvested by hand before being dried, the cardamom seeds unfold a particularly powerful scent, singularly warm and fresh, and delicately lemony. They are very commonly used in Asian cuisine, whole or powdered, particularly in curries and rices. In Europe, they decorate savory dishes but also desserts and desserts, and of course the famous bread.spices !
Cardamom, an ingredient in chai tea Kusmi Tea.
The Indians happily slip a few cardamom grains in their cup of black tea, to give it a subtle citrus scent. They are also credited with numerous benefits: soothing virtues, balancing and tonic at the same time, anti-inflammatory and even antispasmodic. The cardamom is one of the key ingredients of Ayurvedic medicine, but also of the famous mixtures of chai tea : it thus naturally enters into the recipe of the very last Tchaï of the Tiger of Kusmi Tea, which you can find here. A chai tea ideal during this winter period, combined with our cocooning moments as well as our great lively conversations with friends!