I chose cardamom as my subject because it was the only spice I was completely new to in this class: It was a unique flavor that I’d never experienced. Growing up with a father who was passionately against curry, I never sampled much Indian food before this course, but I’ve found that the Indian dishes were at the top of my favorites both in how they’re prepared and how they taste. After reading more about Indian cuisine, I found the history behind cardamom to be especially interesting.
Cardamom has been used for over a thousand years. Its small, aromatic seed is used as a medicine and a preservative as well as a flavoring, and has become an integral part of Indian cuisine. The cardamom plant grows wild in the monsoon forests of India, an area that is now know as the Cardamom Hills. The plant is actually part of the ginger family: It grows in clumps of tall shoots and produces small, pale fruits that contain three cavities filled with the seeds that are commonly used. Until the late 18th century, cardamom was not cultivated- It was only collected from the wild. When the spice trade between Asia and the rest of the world sped up, people in the tropical areas of Asia began to grow cardamom.
Cardamom has a very long history, as both a spice and a medicine. It is mentioned in many ancient Indian and Sanskrit texts, going back to between the 2nd century AD and the 2nd century BC. Cardamom seeds were used as a holy offering to the gods in India and Pakistan, and are still used in religious services there. In Greece and Rome, in was an indispensable part of offerings: Priests used it to “purify” meals offered up to the gods. Until around the 4th century AD, cardamom was used in Catholic liturgy as well. Its aromatic smoke was used in services so much that it is said St. Jerome finally denounced its use as unholy- This was perhaps because of cardamom’s other widely know use as an aphrodisiac. It is said that the Ancient Greeks and Romans used it a lot for this purpose during times of feasting and celebration- In some stories, Cleopatra is said to have used the spice as well, scenting rooms of her palace with it when Marc Anthony came to visit.
Cardamom’s use in food is quite varied, more so than most spices: Cardamom is one of only three spices (saffron and cinnamon being the other two) that is used in both sweet and savory Indian dishes. It’s unique flavor blends well with savory meat, rice, and vegetable dishes. Garam masala, a traditional Indian spice mix containing cardamom, is used in many traditional dishes, such as chicken masala and vegetable and rice curries. Cardamom by itself is often used to flavor coffees, teas, and especially sweet dessert dishes, such as bread and rice puddings, yogurt sauces, and milk fudges. Payasam is a traditional south Indian dessert, mainly consisting of cooked milk flavored with cardamom over rice or vermicelli: It most likely originated in the temple city of Puri about two thousand years ago. Similar dessert dishes can be found throughout northern India (where it is called kheer), Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Payasam is served as an offering to the gods in south Indian Hindu temples, and is a central part of all wedding feasts.
Cardamom has preservative properties as well: it can be added to foods in small amounts (so as not to effect the flavor of the food too greatly), and the oil of the seeds acts against bacterial growth, thereby extending the freshness.
