Cardamom is a spice that is generated from herbaceous plant. Cardamom is associated with the ginger family and is mostly found in countries such as India, Nepal, Sri Lanka etc. These are somewhat triangular in shape, thin and papery with an outer shell and black colored seeds inside.
Cardamom is a very famous seasoning and is used in most of the Asian dishes such as Indian curries, breads, cakes, rolls, desserts, fruit dishes, cookies and even pickles. Including this spice not only provides taste to the food and pastries but is also considered to have nutritional value. In Middle Eastern countries, its seeds are crushed and the powder is added to tea and coffee to provide extra taste. We can also have live cardamom seeds which will help in neutralizing bad breath odors, cleanse the palate and is also considered as a stimulant for digestion.
Whole pods are usually preferred as compared to the ground spice as whole pods contain all the necessary nutrients that are naturally inbuilt. Ground spice on the other hand can be comparatively cheaper as compared to whole pods. The comparison is also very simple. A 1.5 teaspoon of ground spice is equivalent to 10 whole pods of Cardamom.
Cardamom spice is also meant to help cure various types of ailments such as mouth and gum infections, sore throats, ease lung congestion and are most of the times used as a digestive aid. Black colored cardamoms are used in most of the Chinese medicines, Indian medicines and in Ayurveda which is practiced in India and other Far East countries of the world. With so many features, Cardamom is considered to be one of the best spices which can be used not only in food to improve the taste but also as a form of medicine for curing various types of ailments.