Premium Kerala Cardamom 8.5mm Bold — the flagship grade
Our 8.5mm Kerala cardamom is the flagship grade — equivalent to AGEB (Alleppey Green Extra Bold), the top classification in India’s traditional cardamom auction system. These are the largest, boldest pods from the Idukki harvest, deep green in colour, firm, with maximum essential oil content and intact seed clusters inside.
Why 8.5mm bold costs more (and why it’s worth it)
- Yield: Only 8-12% of a Kerala cardamom harvest qualifies for 8mm+ grade.
- Essential oil: 9-11% content — the highest in commercial grades.
- Seed count: 18-22 plump seeds per pod vs 12-15 in smaller grades.
- Aroma intensity: You use half as many pods for the same flavour impact.
Best uses
Gifting: Deep green 8.5mm cardamom in a glass jar is an impressive, culturally meaningful gift for Diwali, weddings, and housewarmings.
Restaurant / commercial kitchens: Fewer pods per dish = more consistent flavour.
Premium biryani: 3-4 whole pods per 1kg rice (vs 6-8 for 6mm).
Royal kheer / payasam: 2 pods ground fresh per 500ml milk.
Specialty beverages: Cardamom coffee, Arabic qahwa, Scandinavian cardamom buns — only the best pods do justice to these recipes.
How to spot genuine 8.5mm quality
- Pod length: measure 3 random pods with a ruler — should be 8.5mm+ consistently.
- Colour: deep vivid green, not pale or yellowish.
- Aroma: crushing one pod releases intense eucalyptus-camphor aroma from 50cm away.
- Seed check: open one pod — should contain 18-22 tightly packed dark seeds.
- Weight: feels substantial for the size — contains concentrated oil.
Storage
Dark airtight glass jar, cool dry cupboard. 2+ years peak aroma if undisturbed. Keep a small daily-use jar separately so the main jar isn’t repeatedly opened.
FAQ
Is 8.5mm really that different from 7mm? Yes — side by side the size and plumpness are visibly different. In cooking you’ll notice stronger aroma and need fewer pods.
How many pods per 100g at 8.5mm? Approximately 250-280 pods.
Can I use this for everyday chai? You can — but 7mm gives you better value for daily use. Save 8.5mm for premium occasions.
Is this authentic AGEB grade? AGEB is an auction grading term requiring specific testing documentation. Our 8.5mm matches AGEB size/quality standards sourced from the same Kerala plantations.
ranjeetw –
Excellent quality. Good fragrance.
Bindu –
Superb quality product . I ordered these for my parents and they loved how fragrant and potent these were . We will continue to support this business for years to come
reddappa.reddy90 –
Amazing quality Elaichi. As soon as you open the pouch you get hit by a wonderful aroma from the elaichi. Thanks KeralaSpices Online for premium quality Elaichi
Raja Samanta –
ravi ranjan kumar –
Nikita Purohit –
SANJEEV M –
Navdeep Jindal –
Surinder Singh –
Kishan Singh –
Very Good
B Vara Prasad –
Cardamom is also super, and available retail market
Dr JaganMohanRaju Tokachichu –
Excellent Quality ?
Shinil Sebastian –
Thank you
Sanjay –
Sanjiv Patil –
Anonymous –
Sanya Khan –
Anonymous –
Kalyan N –
Best Qulity
KALYANI V –
Nand Kumar Mishra –
Best quality product
Quality is 10/10
Patel Rajubhai Jeshingbhai –
A product is very good ?
Brijesh S. –
Suraj P –
Original Cardamom from Western ghats. Pure quality ??
Ravi Agrawal –
Rajvir Rajawat –
Gaurav Wadhera –
Archana K. –
Excellent
Devender Kumar –
Size is too long as mentioned 8.5 mm but test is very dry not sweet.
Fazil –
Adhiraj –
Venkatasubbarao Yerramalle –
Excellent quality
Dr Pankaj kumar Gupta –
Nice product at nice price
Aditya B. –
SREEKANTH CHALI –
Rakesh Kumar –
Prem Kumar Sungh –
Excellent
Adil Rahman –
I have been buying spices from KSO for quite a long time and have had a great experience with the superior quality of the products I have bought. They are trustworthy and punctual in their business.
Sivasubramanian Allimuthu –
Kanchan –
Hiren Suthar –
Vinod Tyagi –
50% pods received are dry. Bad quality