Black Cardamom | Badi Elaichi | Elakkai

Description

Black cardamom is a popular Indian spice, called badi elaichi  that is used in many of the cuisine’s signature dishes. It is in the form of seed pods, which are dark brown to black in color and take on a smokey flavor due to the way they are dried.The pods have a tough, dried, wrinkly skin, are roughly one inch in length, and house small, sticky, dark-colored seeds.Black cardamom is dried over an open fire creating a distinct smoky aroma and flavor. This spice also has notes of resin and camphor, as well as menthol, a slightly minty aroma that provides balance to an otherwise funky flavor.

Health Benefits

In traditional Chinese medicine, cardamom is used to treat digestive issues as well as the symptoms of a cold. Studies have shown cardamom to have anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, the spice has been shown to help prevent cancer.