Cardamom is known as the "queen of spices". It has a delicately pleasant one of a kind aroma and flavor.
In traditional medicines of the East, cardamom has been used to treat an impressive variety of health problems, including heart disease, respiratory ailments, digestive problems including colic, constipation and diarrhea.
India is the land of cardamom. In Southern India it is found in the mountainous rainforests. Today it is most popular in India, Iran, Morocco, and the Arab nations. Cardamom is found in the spice mix Garam Masala.
80% of the world's cardamom is used by the Arab speaking nations to make coffee. However, I love it in flavoring tea. I leave cardamom in the pods because the volatile oils in cardamom seeds are sensitive and their pleasant aroma dissipates quickly after exposure to the air.