Cardamom: The Seeds of Paradise

posted on: Aug 12, 2024

By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer

No one who has visited a home in the Arabian Peninsula will forget the aroma of cardamom scented coffee which seems to permeate the whole atmosphere. A characteristic of that part of the world since time immemorial, this favorite drink of the Arabs usually leaves a lasting imprint on a foreign guest. Most travelers do not often forget the highly aromatic and somewhat sweet ginger-lemon flavour of the cardamom.

Sometimes called ‘Seeds of Paradise’, cardamom is an exotic spice, native to India and Sri Lanka where it is still found in the wild. Over 4,000 years ago it was mentioned in the sacred texts of India and 700 years before the birth of Christ it was believed to have been grown as an ornamental plant in the gardens of the Babylonian kings. In later centuries, adventurous Arab spice traders brought it to the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman worlds. For hundreds of years, it was a much sought after commodity, especially for use as a perfume.

Both Greece and Rome never knew how to obtain this spice directly from its land of origin. Using wisdom and cunning, the Arabs protected their lucrative spice trade. They deceived historians from Herodotus to Pliny into believing that cardamom was the product of Arabia when, in fact, they were importing it from India.

For centuries, until the discovery of the Americas, the Indian subcontinent was virtually the only place where cardamom was produced. Even today, it is still chiefly grown in that part of the world, but its cultivation has also spread to Central America and Jamaica. However, its use in food is almost worldwide. In addition to it being extensively used in India and Sri Lanka, it is used on a wide scale in the Middle East and, surprisingly, in the Scandinavian countries. 

Cardamom Tea

Serves 6

3 cups water

1 teaspoon black tea

1 small cinnamon stick

4 cardamom seeds, whole – cracked

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar 

1. Place the water, tea, cinnamon stick, cardamom, and fennel seeds in a pot and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
2. Add the milk and sugar, bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.
3. Strain into glasses and serve. 

Cardamom Fruit Salad

Serves 8

1 medium cantaloupe (about 2-pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2 -inch cubes

2 medium oranges, peeled and sectioned, then sections cut in half

2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2- inch cubes

1/2 cup raisins, rinsed

1/2 cup honey

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom seeds

4 tablespoons lemon juice 

1. Place the cantaloupe, oranges, apples, and raisins in a serving bowl, then set aside.
2. In a saucepan, bring the honey, water and cardamom to a boil, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. Stir in the honey mixture and lemon juice in the fruits, then toss and serve immediately.