What is cardamom good for? How to make the most of the spice, its varieties, and a recipe

The bitter spice comes in green and black varieties with the former more intense. It is used sparingly in Indian dishes and desserts

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Green cardamom is more widely used than black, but both varieties of the fragrant spice should be used sparingly. Buy it in pods and grind it yourself for a better flavour. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 3:15pm, 2 May 2025Updated: 1:51pm, 5 Jun 2025

Cardamom is a spice I love, even though I do not use it often.

I add a small amount of the ground spice when I make Danish pastries and delicate chickpea-flour cookies, and use a pod or two when I am cooking an Indian- or Middle Eastern-inspired dish, but that is about the extent of it.

It is a spice that should be used sparingly: with most preparations, a subtle hint of its distinctive flavour is much better than a strong jolt of it. I once accidentally bit into a whole cardamom pod I had used in a biryani, and it was some time before I could get the bitter flavour out of my mouth.

Cardamom comes in two main varieties: black and green, with the former being much stronger and the latter used in a wider variety of cuisines.

Green cardamom has the stronger flavour of the two varieties, and is used in a wider variety of dishes. Photo: Getty Images

Both can be bought as whole pods or ground. You get a better flavour if you buy the whole pods and grind them as you need them. If you must buy the ground spice, store it in the freezer.

Cardamom can be used on its own or mixed with other spices; it is particularly delicious with saffron and is often part of spice mixtures such as ras el hanout and garam masala.

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