Black Cardomom

Description

While we introduced it briefly alongside its green cousin, black cardamom—known as Badi Elaichi or Kali Elaichi in Hindi—is a fascinating, moody giant that deserves a spotlight all its own. Derived primarily from the species Amomum subulatum, it is native to the damp, mountainous eastern Himalayas, particularly Sikkim and Nepal. Physically, it looks completely different from green cardamom: the pods are much larger, rough-textured, deeply wrinkled, and a dark, dusty brown with a distinctly smoky, camphor-like flavor.