· 3 min read
Cardamom, from the Cardamom Hills
There is a range of hills in Kerala named after this spice. That is how long it has mattered.
01 Shade, rain and altitude
Green cardamom grows under the canopy of the Western Ghats, between about 600 and 1,500 metres, where it rains for months. The plant is a relative of ginger, and the pods form on runners close to the ground. Picking is by hand, pod by pod, several times a season.
02 The pod is the point
The aromatic oils live in the tiny black seeds, and the green pod is their packaging. Once ground, cardamom loses its scent within weeks; whole, it keeps for a year or more. That is the whole reason we use pods, lightly cracked, rather than powder.
03 In the cup
Cardamom is what you smell first when you open a pouch of Cholesterol Balance. It is cool and floral against the warmth of cinnamon and ginger, and it is why the blend works after a heavy meal.
Herbs in this piece: Green Cardamom
Vanmool infusions are food products, not medicines. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a medical condition, please speak to your doctor before use.
