One of the most popular spices in the world, cardamom is called the 'Queen of Spices,' and is second only to black pepper, the King. The Mughal emperors of India carried tiny silver boxes of cardamom pods which were chewed as mouth freshner, a tradition that exists even today among the rich and the famous in the country.

There are many varieties of cardamom, the true one being the green cardamom. The fat green pods grown in Kerala are considered the best. The fruits are picked just before they ripen and dried in the sun. Cardamom pods, too, differ according to variety. Each pod contains between 10-40 hard sticky seeds. Cardamom is prized for its seeds, which possess most of the sweet, highly-perfumed citrus fragrance, while the skins of the pod are thrown away.

Whole cardamom seeds have a sweet mild flavour and a pleasant aroma. But as soon as they are crushed, they release a strong, camphorous fragrance and if chewed, the taste is bitter-sweet, aromatic and lingering.

Cardamom is used almost exclusively in sweets and milky desserts (cardamom finds a place of distinction in rice kheer) in its native Kerala and Sri Lanka, but this fragrant spice goes well with rich curries too. Indian teas and coffees are spiked with cardamom, too. It has a particular affinity with creams, tropical or dried fruit and rice, hence the pulao and biryani-eating Hydrabadis love it. No true Hyderabadi will ever offer pulao or biryani without cardamom. Often they even double the quantity used by northern cooks!

Buy the whole pods with the freshness sealed in. The seeds are easy to use but the powder needs to be used up very quickly. Hence buying it ready-made is a waste of time. Grind the seeds in a small mortar. The strong flavour of cardamom enhances both sweet and savoury dishes. Its digestive properties have also made it popular as an after-dinner infusion. In fact many Indians serve this scented digestive coated with edible silver foil after a heavy meal.