Cardamom seeds

Cardamom seeds from Altes Gewürzamt, shelled and lemony

Cardamom seeds from Altes Gewürzamt are the pre-shelled seeds of green cardamom from Guatemala. Without the detour through the pod, they release their floral, lemony aroma immediately, whether in yeast pastries, a rice pot, or a coffee pot.

Cardamom seeds are a single spice from Altes Gewürzamt in Klingenberg am Main, packaged in a 45-gram tin. Inside are the small, dark grains from fully ripe green pods, which contain the essential oil and thus the entire fragrance.

Concentrated, lemony, and floral

Freshly crushed, the grains have a concentrated, bright aroma because there is nothing left between them and the air without their protective shell.

Concentrated, lemony, floral: that is how real cardamom seasons, and these seeds bring that to your spoon without the need to peel the pods. Both sweet and savory dishes handle it well, as long as the amount remains small.

Botanically, cardamom is a member of the ginger family from the mountain forests of Southern India, and you can taste its relationship through a subtle heat beneath the floral notes. Its fruit is a three-chambered capsule containing fifteen to twenty tightly packed seeds.

Green cardamom should not be confused with black cardamom, which comes from a different species and is dried over an open fire. The latter tastes smoky and resinous, while this tin contains the bright, floral side.

In yeast wreaths, rice, and coffee

These seeds are certainly versatile, as pastries, rice dishes, curries, and even coffee readily embrace their exotic notes.

Freshly crushed in milk rice with honey, the floral quality is showcased beautifully, and it is a staple in Swedish yeast wreaths regardless. For an Arab-style strong roasted coffee, two crushed grains can go directly into the pot.

A chai only becomes a chai when, alongside ginger, cloves, and cinnamon, the cardamom joins in. Grind sparingly and always fresh, because the finer the powder, the larger the surface area and the faster the oil evaporates. Briefly sautéed in butter or ghee, the seeds release their aroma into the fat and spread throughout the entire pot from there.

The whole pods can be found under green cardamom, and you will find the same aroma in the company of others in our Klingenberger gingerbread spice.

From Guatemala to Altes Gewürzamt

Good seeds require fully ripe green fruit, as only these carry enough essential oil. It is exactly these pods that Altes Gewürzamt selects for this tin.

The fact that the product comes from Guatemala rather than India has a historical reason: the plant only reached Central America in the 20th century, where it thrived in the humid highlands. It is still harvested by hand today in several passes, because the fruits on a single panicle never all ripen at the same time.

Those who shell them trade shelf life for speed, and this trade is always worth it if cardamom is a regular customer in your kitchen rather than a rare guest. You can taste this effort, and it explains why the spice ranks among the most expensive in the world, alongside saffron and vanilla.

The label lists exactly one ingredient for this. At Altes Gewürzamt, these seeds are found among the individual spices and herbs, one shelf in the large assortment from Altes Gewürzamt.