Bhutan's big cardamom has a fresh and aromatic aroma which is complex in nature. It can be described as slightly sweet, floral and spice having citric elements. Large black cardamom has a strong, unique taste with an intense aromatic fragrance. Large Cardamom is best stored in pod form because once the seeds are exposed they quickly lose their flavor. Roughly 2.5 to 3 cm in length, the pod is dark brown to black in colour with a tough, dried and wrinkly skin.
Black cardamom is dried over a fire smoke and therefore has a distinct smoky aroma. The seeds have sweetish, smoky flavour if you take a bite. The pods can be used in their whole or split forms while cooking. Cardamom is often included in Indian sweet dishes and drinks like punches and milled wines. It is used in pickles, especially pickled herring and flavoured custard. A stimulant and carminative helps in curing indigestion and flatulence.
Bhutan harvests one of the most organic forms of cardamoms in the world. This particular product is sourced from Tsendagang gewog, Dagana Dzongkhag in southern Bhutan.
International Names of Cardamoms :
- French: cardamome
- German: Kardamom
- Italian: cardamomo, cardamone
- Spanish: cardamomo
- Burmese: phalazee
- Chinese: ts'ao-k'ou
- Indian: elachi, e(e)lachie, ela(i)chi, illaichi
- Indonesian: kapulaga
- Sinhalese: enasal
- Thai: grawahn, kravan