The Pantry / Black cardamom
Black cardamom
Amomum subulatum · badi elaichi · kali elaichi
Cardamom’s darker cousin — dried over fire, and it tastes of it.
What it is
Black cardamom is a large, dark-brown, ridged pod, quite unlike its small green namesake. It is dried over open flames, which gives it a distinct smoky, resinous, camphorous character — a savoury spice, not a dessert one, and no substitute for green cardamom.
Where it comes from
It grows in the eastern Himalaya — Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan and the surrounding hills — where the fire-drying that defines its flavour is part of the harvest.
What it's called
Black cardamom · badi elaichi (“big cardamom”) · kali elaichi (Hindi). Botanically Amomum subulatum.
In the kitchen
A whole pod (usually bruised) goes into slow-cooked meat gravies, biryani and robust masalas, lending smoky depth; it is lifted out before serving. It belongs in the savoury, warming dishes of the Mughal Corridor — never in sweets, where its smoke would be wrong.
What we know about the claims
No notable health claims — it is a flavouring spice, used whole and in small numbers. Its smoke is culinary, from drying, not a cause for concern.
Choosing and buying
Sold whole in South Asian grocers (UK and US); the pods keep well. Buy whole and bruise as needed — pre-ground loses the smoke quickly.