How to cook cardamom

Cardamom is made from the seedpods of a perennial plant that is part of the ginger family. The seeds have a warm, sweet, slightly peppery flavor and an aroma that combines ginger, coriander, and nutmeg. A popular ingredient in Asian cuisine, cardamom also is used in Scandinavian cooking as a flavoring for fruit compotes, gingerbread, and meatballs. It goes well with sweet potatoes and squash. Green cardamom pods are the most flavorful and need to be ground before use. Pods may be bleached or lightened, however, and this processing may affect the flavor. The lightened pods are preferred over the ground seeds, which lose their flavor quickly. Ground cardamom can be mixed with other spices and therefore have a blunted flavor. Cardamom can be expensive. However, a little goes a long way. Less costly versions may have less flavor.