Cardamom is used to spice both sweet and savory dishes. It is widely employed in Indian, Middle Eastern, Arabic, and Swedish cuisine. It comes in two types and is used as whole pods, seeds, or ground. Cardamom is found in the garam masala spice mixture that seasons meat and vegetable dishes, and in hot beverages such as masala chai and Turkish coffee.
Cardamom seeds or pods are sometimes chewed to refresh the breath and as a digestive aid.
Cardamom has various uses ascribed in traditional medicine. While there has been some scientific research into using cardamom for health benefits, not enough has been done to merit a report by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a division of the National Institutes of Health.
