We have always kept black cardamom at home and have generally use it in sweet applications, with the green cardamoms being used for savoury dishes - a quite different usage to that employed in India.
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Black cardamom plants | Black cardamom flowers and rhizomes | Black cardamom seed pods |
| Species: | Amomum subulatum. |
Origin: | Central and Eastern Asia. |
Source: | Several species of the genus amomum are native to the mountainous area from the Himalayas to Southern China. Amomum subulatum is native to the Eastern Himalayas with the main production regions being Nepal and Sikkim. |
Used Part: | Seeds. Commonly the large (2-3cm) brown pods are sold as a whole. |
Family: | Zingiberaceae (ginger family). |
Effect: | Black cardamom has a fresh and aromatic aroma in which camphor is easily discernible. By virtue of the traditional drying procedure over open flames, the spice also acquires a strong smoky flavour. |
Etymology: | The etymology of the genus name amomum and common name cardamom are as for Green Cardamom. The botanical species name subulatum derives from the Latin subula "awl", referring probably to the awl-shaped and pointed leaves. |
Several languages make reference to the geographical origin of the plant in the Himalayas (as opposed to green cardamom which originates in South India), e.g. German Nepal-cardamom, French Cardamome du Népal). For the source of Gujarati elchi, Hindi elaichi and Punjabi ilaichi, see Green Cardamom. | |
Uses: | Black cardamom is usually described as an inferior substitute for green cardamom, but this can be seriously challenged. In India, black cardamom has its special field of application and although green and black cardamoms are frequently interchangeable, the black variety is felt superior for spicy and rustic dishes, while green cardamom is much preferred in the Mogul cuisine with its subtle blend of sweet fragrances. |
Black cardamom can be used in rather liberal amounts, up to a few capsules per person. The smoky fragrance of the pure spice is not discernible in the finished dish. Black cardamom cannot dominate a dish, but enhances and intensifies the taste of other ingredients. | |
The pods should be slightly crushed before use, but not so much that the seeds are released although these may be removed before serving (especially from soups). Black cardamom, as other spices used in North India, needs some cooking time to best develop its aroma. Thus, it is generally a good idea to prepare North Indian braised dishes (kormas) a few hours or even a day in advance. | |
Although there are many distinct species of black cardamom ranging in pod size from 2 cm to more than 5 cm, their tastes do not differ much, although only the Nepal variety is smoked. Apart from use in Indian and Nepali cuisine they are not much known, but have some importance in Central and Southern China where the ground seeds are an optional ingredient of Chinese five spice. | |
In the mountains of Sichuan in central China, black cardamom is commonly employed in long-simmered meet stews together with other dried spices. The term xiang liao "fragrant grains" refers to such mixtures of dried spices which are prepared differently for each recipe and typically contain Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, black cardamom, star anise and lesser galangale. | |
There are also some related wild African black cardamoms (aframomum) found in Madagascar, Somalia and Cameroon. | |
Black cardamom should be distinguished from the pungent West African spice "grains of paradise", which have a similar taste and appear sporadically on the Western market. |
