Cardamom | Green Forest Cardamom
35 grams, pods
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The taste begins with a creamy mouthfeel, followed by freshness, a hint of sweetness, and finally, the intense eucalyptus flavor of fresh cardamom emerges.
You can use the whole pods, for example, to infuse in cream or a rice dish. In that case, make sure to crush the pods beforehand in a mortar. If you want to mix the flavours into something, for example, a spice mix or a batter, then you remove the seeds from the pods and grind them finely.
This can be done with a mortar (coarser) or a spice grinder (to a fine powder). Optionally, you can also finely grind the whole pod in an electric grinder. In that case, it is best to then pass it through a sieve.
Spice blends containing cardamom include Turkish baharat, curry masala, gingerbread spice, and advieh. Cardamom pairs well with ingredients such as apple, rice, chicken, lamb, coffee, tea, lemon, apricot, and tomato.
This variety is much more flavorful than commercial types, which are primarily grown for their appearance. The taste is menthol, warm, creamy with citrus undertones. Cardamom adds a freshness and an interesting twist to both savory and sweet dishes. Be warned, this cardamom is potent, so use only two-thirds of the recommended amount in recipes.
The cardamom pods come from the Cardamom Hills in Kerala, India. Here, Graamya produces spices with respect for nature. This starts with using indigenous varieties that have perfectly adapted to their environment, making pesticides unnecessary. The cardamom plant is a human-sized palm with flowering stems close to the ground, from which the pods grow.
How is this chain structured?
All our chains have their own story. Their own piece of land, their own farmer. It is grown and processed in a certain way. Journey with us to the story behind this taste.
These cardamom pods come from the Cardamom Hills in Idukki / Kerala, India. In the higher parts of these hills, Graamya cultivates spices with respect for nature.
The Cardamom Hills are world-renowned for their cardamom production, but unfortunately, many pesticides are used in the region to increase production. Not at Graamya.
Graamya and its affiliated farmers apply 'Zero Budget Natural Farming' to their fields. This mainly involves the use of natural mixtures such as Jiwamrita (a mixture of, among other things, manure, legumes, and seasonal fruit, which nourishes and restores the soil) and Pathilakashayam (a natural pesticide consisting of ten types of bitter leaves, urine from indigenous cows, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and chili).
In addition, the farmers also use microbial cultures developed based on expert recommendations.
Don't be fooled by a bump, spot, or uneven sizes of the pods. This Paladuki variety is much more flavorful than commercial varieties that are larger and all look the same.
Growth cycle: March - October/November
Dried: October/November - January
The ripening of the pods - without the use of pesticides - is not simultaneous. Therefore, harvesting can take place from October to December. This can only be done manually, which requires a lot of experience and precision. If you see a pod with brown seeds in your tin, then something went wrong there (approx. 15%).
Pods are washed and dried for 20 hours at 45–50 °C. Graamya does this in its own solar-powered processing facility, also on behalf of the community.
Let's make an impact!
Each supply chain not only has its own story, but also its own challenges. We would like to share the impact we make per supply chain and how we deal with specific challenges.
The indigenous Palakudi variety used by Gramyaa varies in colour and size and occasionally has spots. Quite normal, if you ask us. The big advantage: it's much more flavourful. We want to give this variety more recognition, partly to create awareness that good looks do not always go hand in hand with the best taste.
We have also entered into a long-term partnership with Gramyaa and buy from them, even if the harvest is a bit disappointing – then we have a little less. This way, they know they can count on us and can bring about change in the region.
Nature-friendly agriculture requires years of effort to restore the soil, select strong local varieties, and develop a new way of thinking.
During the transition period, farmers often face lower yields. This is also the case for Graamya and the farmers they work with. This requires perseverance from them and flexibility from us.
Frequently asked questions
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Air, light, and moisture are detrimental to the quality of your spices. Therefore, store them in a tightly sealed jar or tin that is opaque (or in a dark kitchen cupboard or drawer). Also, do not store them above your stove, as cooking fumes can affect them. Always transfer spices from a repack into a well-sealed jar or tin as quickly as possible.
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The shelf life of spices is primarily determined by the loss of flavor that occurs over time, as otherwise, they generally do not spoil. We use a shelf life of 2.5 - 3 years after harvest. This depends partly on the time of bottling and also on whether they are whole spices that you grind yourself or pre-ground powder.
Spices in supermarkets have often been on their way for 2-3 years before they are even bottled and then receive a shelf life of another 3-5 years. Primarily use your senses to assess if they are still good. At some point, there will simply be no flavor left, which would be a shame for that beautiful meal!
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We do not have organic certification, even though our spices do meet these standards. All farmers work in harmony with nature and without pesticides, but the certification process is unfortunately very expensive. For small farmers, it is actually unaffordable. And we want to show them that it is worthwhile to grow spices sustainably. That there are people willing to pay for a quality natural product and that they don't have to make a huge, impossible investment in the form of certification first.
A number of our farmers do have the certificate, by the way. Cooperatives, for example, can apply for the certification process jointly, which makes it a lot more affordable. But to be allowed to put this on the packaging, our entire chain would also have to be certified, including the Social Workshop where the spices are packaged. This is currently not possible, as they also work for other non-organic producers. So in short: no, we are not officially certified, but the quality and way of working are at least as good.
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Single Origin means that a product comes from one specific place. Often, harvests from different places, sometimes even from different countries and different years, are mixed together. Traders do this to develop the cheapest possible product with a consistent taste. With us, you know exactly where your spices come from, right down to the name of the farmer. This also means that the quality can sometimes vary, as it is a natural product. For example, one year might be drier than another, which can lead to a change in taste. But our farmers always strive for the highest possible taste experience, and you can taste it!
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We always strive to purchase the latest harvest. Of course, it can sometimes happen that we still have some harvest in stock, while the new harvest is already ready. So we cannot always guarantee that you will get the very latest harvest, but we do strive for that as much as possible. On the packaging, you will find a QR code to a page where you can find exactly when your spices were harvested and when they were filled into the tins/pouches. With this, we aim for complete transparency in our process.
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We ship to most European countries, but this will, of course, involve higher shipping costs. Would you like to order from a country, but it's not possible? Please contact us, so we can look at the options.
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At the Siza Social Workplace, they do their utmost to pack orders the day after they are placed. If it's busy, it might take an extra day. They don't work on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so if you order on a Thursday, for example, it will take a bit longer for your package to be shipped.
Once the packages are ready, they are picked up by de Groene Rijders and delivered by their bicycle couriers in the areas they serve, or outsourced to PostNL. Depending on how busy they are, they also aim to deliver within 1 business day.