Everything You Need to Know About Cardamom 

Cardamom is a spice popularly used for centuries in cooking and as a medicine. Cardamom’s taste has a strong, sharp, sweet, smokey flavor with the hints of mint and lemon. This spice is widely used in Indian, Arabic, Middle Eastern, and Swedish cuisine. You can get two types of cardamom, whole and ground, which is perfect for preparing dessert, meat, vegetable, and hot beverages. Before you decide on buying multiple pods of cardamom or packets of ground cardamom, you can check out the following beneficial sides, side effects, storing ideas, and a quick recipe you can prepare at home.

What is Cardamom? 

Cardamom is a spice created from seed pods of different plants in the ginger family. Cardamom pods are small, shaped as spindles, and triangular in cross-section. The seeds got a small black texture, while pods differ in size and color by species.

Cardamom is called the queen of spice as it can enhance dishes’ flavors and is the third most expensive spice. Also, this spice has different kinds, but the black and green pods are the most popular.

• Green cardamom is popularly known as true cardamom as its most common variety you will find in the grocery store’s spice aisle. It’s the top choice for sweet dishes and works amazing with savory dishes.
• Black cardamom is stronger and has a mint-like flavor with larger pods that are dark brown. It has a smoky element that makes it a good addition to savory dishes, but you can use it in sweet dishes.
• White cardamom is made from green pods, and the bleached version has a milder flavor.

Whole vs. Ground Cardamom

Recipes that call for green cardamom need whole pods with intact seeds. It makes the recipe more flavorful, and you need to throw out the pods after cooking is done. You don’t want to taste the whole cardamom as it tastes very unpleasant.

You can get whole pods if you use green cardamom in your recipe. If you buy ground green cardamom from our shop Goodiesareus, it will not be as flavorful as whole pods. Also, the oil from the cardamom seeds will lose its flavor quickly after the seeds are ground.

Nutritional Value of Cardamom

Cardamom contains a rich amount of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are beneficial for your health. According to the Department of Agriculture, one tablespoon can contain,

• Calories: 18
• Total fat: 0.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 4.0 g
• Fiber: 1.6 g
• Protein: 0.6 g
• Calcium: 22.2 mg
• Iron: 0.81 mg
• Magnesium: 13.3 mg
• Phosphorus: 10.3 mg
• Potassium: 64.9 mg

Also, it contains a small number of vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, pyridoxine, and vitamin C.

Potential Health Benefits of Cardamom

Antioxidant and Diuretic Properties May Lower Blood Pressure

Cardamom is very helpful for people who have high blood pressure. In a research, 20 adults with newly diagnosed high blood pressure received three grams of cardamom powder daily. Blood pressure readings of those adults had dramatically dropped to the normal range after 12 weeks.

Those great results of that research are related to cardamom’s antioxidant properties. Researchers also found that, due to its diuretic impact, it can increase urination to eliminate water that builds up in your body and lower blood pressure.

Metabolic syndrome and diabetes

According to several types of research, cardamom can aid with some components of metabolic syndrome. The researchers recruited women who were obese or overweight and had prediabetes and high cholesterol.

Their research revealed that the levels of C-reactive protein, inflammatory proteins, and other markers that can lead to health issues were lower in the women who took green cardamom for eight weeks. People with type 2 diabetes can gain health benefits like improved insulin levels and hemoglobin A1c by consuming green cardamom.

Contain Cancer-Fighting Compound

Natural phytochemicals found in cardamom may be able to fight conditions like cancer. Although some studies imply that the spice may have cancer-fighting capabilities, it cannot replace cancer treatment.

For instance, one study discovered that green cardamom could reduce the size and mass of skin tumors by supplementing mice for 15 days. According to one study, this amazing spice ingredient prevented the growth of oral cancer cells in test tubes.

Beneficial for Heart health

Cardamom has been associated with improving heart health in certain animal studies. It could improve our cholesterol levels, but further research is required to determine how spice affects human heart health.

Also, green cardamom may offer protection against heart attacks, according to the results of a rodent study. Although the authors stress that human studies are needed to confirm these results, they speculate that its antioxidant effects may aid in enhancing heart function.

Treats Oral health

Cardamom has been used for breath freshening for ages, and today many people use that alongside mint and cinnamon.

They did this for reasons other than the flavor alone. Bacterias in the mouth can cause bad breath, cavities, and gum disease, which can be combated by cardamom.

According to a recent study, cardamom seeds and fruit’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities can enhance oral health. According to the research, cardamom extract can effectively disrupt microorganisms that cause gum disease or infections.

Improves Breathing and Oxygen Use

Cardamom’s mineral content can improve breathing by boosting lung airflow. It can produce an energizing scent when used in aromatherapy, which improves your body’s capacity to use oxygen when exercising.

In one trial, participants were instructed to inhale cardamom essential oil for one minute before engaging in 15-minute intervals of treadmill jogging. Compared to the control group, this group considerably increased its oxygen uptake.

Antibacterial Effects and Treat Infections

Cardamom is rich in compounds that can fight inflammations like bacteria and fungi. Inflammation happens when your body is exposed to several foreign elements.

One study found that green cardamom has beneficial antioxidants that can protect cells from damage and stop inflammation from happening. The researchers found that its antibacterial property can damage some bacteria’s cell membrane.

Test researchers found that essential oils and cardamom extract are much more effective than standard drugs against E.coli and Staphylococcus bacteria that can cause food poisoning.

Ulcer prevention

Cardamom can aid several digestive issues, just like ginger. Some people use spice to prepare a drink that calms their stomach. It might help prevent stomach ulcers as well.

In a recent study, experts gave rats massive dosages of aspirin to cause stomach ulcers. The rats were then given cardamom extract to examine how it would affect their ulcers. The rats that consumed cardamom extract had fewer and smaller ulcers than the animals that did not.

Treats Skin Issues

Cardamom has antibacterial properties; when you apply cardamom as a face mask with the mixture of cardamom powder and honey mask, you will get instant relief in the area.

Other Beneficial Sides of Cardamom

Cardamom may benefit your health in additional ways besides the ones already stated above.

There are several types of research done on rats, and the high antioxidant content of the spice can help with weight loss, reduce anxiety, and prevent liver enlargement:

• Protects Liver: Cardamom extract may lower high cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and liver enzymes. They may help stop liver weight gain and liver enlargement, lowering the risk of fatty liver disease.
• Decreases Anxiety: According to a mouse study, cardamom extract may stop nervous behaviors. This could result from the association between anxiety and other mood disorders and low blood levels of antioxidants.
• Weight loss: A cardamom link to a slightly smaller waist circumference was discovered in a study of 80 overweight and obese prediabetic women.

Risks and Side Effects of Cardamom

Using cardamom in cooking has not been linked to any known hazards or negative side effects. Most people can safely use cardamom as a spice and flavoring without any worries.

When taking cardamom as a supplement, there is no recommended dosage. Many cardamom capsules or tablets state that each pill contains 400–500 milligrams of dried plant. A person should see a healthcare provider before taking cardamom supplements or other natural supplements.

How Do I Cook with Cardamom?

You can buy organic and finest quality green cardamom from our store Goodiesareus as pods, seeds, or powder. To get the boldest flavor and texture, you can get whole pods, as ground cardamom have a mild texture.

If your preferred recipe wants whole green cardamom pods, lightly toast them at medium temperature in a pan until they are aromatic, and don’t forget to discard them before serving.

Some recipes will call for the seeds, so break the pods and grind them to get the best flavors in your recipe. Be careful when adding cardamom to your recipe, as it can quickly overpower the flavors of the ingredients.

If you are using cardamom in hot drinks like coffee or tea, simply use a powdered version or grind 3 to 4 cardamom seeds along with coffee beans and pour hot water on top of it. Some people grind the whole pods, but you can only use the seeds as it has more flavors in them.

Cardamom pairs amazingly with sweets, poultry, chicken, red meat, lentils, oranges, rice, and other warm spices like nutmeg and cardamom. It’s ideal in curries, baked goods, teas, soup, and sausages.

How to Store Cardamom? 

Many supermarkets carry ground cardamom or powdered version, but whole pods are hard to find. That is why you can get the finest quality green cardamom which enhances the flavors of your dish and has a great aroma, directly from Iran in our shop Goodiesareus. Keep cardamom in the dark and cool place, and add them in tightly sealed containers. Whole pods will last about a year in the container, or else they will start to lose their flavors.

Ground cardamom seeds only have a shelf life of only a few months because the essential oils and fragrances start to disappear as soon as the seeds are ground. For this reason, you need to get whole pods and grind the seeds as you need them.

Cardamom Buns Recipe

If you are not so sure how to prepare cardamom or want to explore what it tastes like. Preparing a cardamom bun is an amazing way to encourage yourself to add green cardamom to various dishes to enhance the flavors. I have used the finest green cardamom, which is especially from Iran and has a great aroma that will pair well with

The best thing about this bun is that you can get Swedish taste at home, and with a few adjustments, you can replicate this dish in your kitchen. Unlike cinnamon rolls, these cardamom buns will not rise up and get fluffy, but they will taste so amazing that no one will care.

Ingredients 

For the Dough

• ½ cup milk 120ml
• 1 teaspoon fast-acting yeast
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 30g, softened
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground green cardamom
• 1 ½ cups plain flour 210g
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

For the filling

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 42g
• 3 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground green cardamom

On top 

• 1 egg for egg wash
• 1 teaspoon cane sugar

Instructions

Form the Dough

• Warm the milk gently in medium heat until it starts to bubble, and set it aside to cool the milk slightly. Once it’s slightly warm, add the yeast on top of the milk and keep it aside.
• Combine butter, sugar, green cardamom, and salt, and gradually add flour. Once fully combined, place it on a lightly floured surface and make a dough.
• Keep the dough in a light oil bowl and cover it in a warm place for around 1 hour to fluff it up.

Add Filling

• When the dough is almost done, start preparing the filling in a bowl with butter, sugar, and green cardamom.
• Roll the dough in a long thin 21×7-inch rectangle. Brush with the filling evenly on top of the dough and make it three layers thick. At first, fold the short dough end halfway across, then fold the other side on top of the dough. The layered piece of the dough will look almost square-shaped.
• Cut the dough into six strips crosswise evenly and trim slightly on both sides if required.
• Take two pieces of the strip, twist them together, tuck the end between the starting point, and loop the other end to the middle area where the loop is created.

Baking

• Prepare the baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper, place the buns, cover and set it aside. Meanwhile, set the temperature at 425F and start preheating.
• Lightly brush the bun with egg wash and sprinkle some sugar on top. Bake for at least 10 minutes or until they are golden brown on top. Allow them to cool in a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.