I think fresh ground black pepper is the king of spices, so that would make cardamom the queen right? In India, cardamom is used in almost every dish along side cumin. When spices were traded from east to west and still to this day as the trade continues, cardamom is asked for as much as pepper is.

Sir Lanka exchanged cardamom with the Greeks and Romans back during ancient days and it was used to make perfumes and even used for cooking delicate dishes. AS far as India’s relationship with cardamom, it has been among one of the earliest spices mentioned in Indian text and it has been apart of India's religious rituals and as a medicinal herb as well. I can help treat skin and urinary issues and help aid in digestion similar to that of peppermint and peppermint essential oil as well.

So add cardamom to your spice cabinet and start adding it to dishes that call for a bit of the spice. Here is one to help get you started in cooking with it right away.

Cardamom Spice Cookies
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 egg
1 1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt (optional)

Need a small mixing bowl, a medium mixing bowl, and a well greased pan. (I usually use vegetable or canola oil, but butter would probably be the best and healthiest.) In the medium mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon together, and stir. In the smaller mixing bowl, put in brown sugar and butter, but be sure the butter is softened, not melted. Beat butter/sugar with beater or by hand (about 35 seconds). Add egg and vanilla in butter/sugar mixture. Beat again for about the same time. Add butter mixture with flour. If you are beating by hand, then beat as you pour into the flour mixture. Beat until all is evenly mixed.

Roll into balls and shape how you want. Put in pan about 1 1/2" apart. Cook on 325 for about 15-18 minutes.

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