Product Descriptions
Black cardamom are pod-like seeds of plants of the Amomum aromaticum – Zingiberaceae family. It is known as 草果 or cao guo in Mandarin, Chinese and thảo quả in Vietnam (it should not be confused with green cardamom, Elletaria Cardamomum). Known as the “Queen of Spices”, along with black pepper and ginger, black cardamom was the one of the key commodities sought after as part of the original oriental spice trade. The ancient Arabs thought of black cardamom as an aphrodisiac and used it to flavour their coffee while the ancient Greeks and Romans processed the seeds to make perfumes.
Our Black Cardamom is a highly valued spice due to its strong aroma, spicy taste, and medicinal properties. The plant thrives in cold and humid conditions under the canopy of ancient forests, making Lao Cai in Vietnam an ideal place for its growth. Lao Cai produces some of the world’s top-quality cardamom, with about 20,000 hectares of land dedicated to its cultivation and an annual output of 5,000 tons. The spice has become a significant source of income for the local people, particularly ethnic minorities, improving their lives and providing better opportunities for their children. Therefore, it can be considered as a natural “gift” to Lao Cai. Cardamom from this region is highly appreciated by international culinary experts and has been exported to many countries worldwide.
Once pods are ripe, they are dried over an open fire, giving black cardamom a smoky flavour and aroma.
Black cardamom is a spice used in Chinese & Vietnam cooking that provides a fragrant aroma to flavor master sauces in many dishes. Unlike green cardamom, black cardamom is not well-suited for sweets and desserts but instead makes a great addition to savory dishes, especially slow-simmered soups, braised meat recipes, and even stir-fries. The pods are dried over open flames before harvesting, giving the outer husk a wrinkled leathery texture and the dark brown seeds inside a unique flavor that is smoky, peppery, and warm.
Use for cooking:
– The large pods are used in whole form or maybe slightly pounded to flatten it and expose the seeds inside.
Whole pods can be used for tempering in warm oil to release the aromatic oils from the pod or stewed and cooked in a liquid broth to infuse the dish with a delicate smoky aroma.
– The most common use of Black Cardamom is when a dish requires a relatively long time to simmer, such as when making rice, whole grains, meat dishes or even broths for soups and stews!
– The prolonged simmering of the dish in a liquid helps to squeeze out the oils and inject the dish with a woody freshness!
– It is mostly used to make savory dishes since smoky flavor in desserts and sweets is not favored.
– As the skin of black cardamom is rough and hard, its difficult to grind it, so remove any roughage to make a smooth blend.
– Whole pods used during the cooking process can be easily removed from the dish before serving to avoid bitter bites.
