The short answer

There are two completely different spices sold as “cardamom”: green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) — the “Queen of Spices”, used in tea, desserts, biryani, grown mainly in Kerala’s Idukki hills and parts of Karnataka; and black cardamom (Amomum subulatum) — larger, smoky, grown in the Himalayas and used mainly in North Indian savoury dishes. Green cardamom is graded by pod size: 8mm (bold/premium), 7mm (standard), 6mm (small). Within green cardamom, Kerala’s Alleppey Green Extra Bold (AGEB) and Mysore cardamom are the premium origin designations. Authentic cardamom should be bright green (not pale yellow — that’s old stock bleached by sun), firm, and release a strong eucalyptus-camphor aroma when squeezed.

The 4 main types of cardamom you’ll encounter

1. Green cardamom (Choti Elaichi / Chota Elam)

Elettaria cardamomum. Small (0.5–2 cm), bright green pods containing 10–15 tiny black-brown seeds. This is the cardamom used in chai, Indian desserts (kheer, gulab jamun), biryani, coffee, and global baking. Grown mainly in Kerala (Idukki), Karnataka (Coorg), and Tamil Nadu, with Guatemala as the largest global producer. Kerala and Karnataka cardamom is considered superior in aroma to Guatemalan.

2. Black cardamom (Badi Elaichi / Kali Elaichi)

Amomum subulatum. Large (2–3 cm), dark brown-black pods with a leathery, wrinkled outer shell. Smoky aroma from traditional fire-curing. Used in North Indian cooking — pulao, dal makhani, Mughlai curries, garam masala. Grown in Sikkim, Darjeeling, and Nepal. NOT a substitute for green cardamom in sweet dishes.

3. Mysore cardamom (origin designation)

A variety of green cardamom traditionally grown in Mysore (Karnataka) and neighbouring Kerala regions. Pods are slightly longer and more elongated than typical green cardamom, with rich aroma. Often considered the premium grade among Indian cardamoms.

4. Alleppey Green Extra Bold (AGEB)

A premium quality designation for the largest, bold green cardamom pods from Kerala, specifically graded by size and colour. Pods are 8mm+, deep green, high essential oil content.

Green cardamom grades — what 8mm, 7mm, 6mm mean

Grade	Pod size	Use case	Price tier
AGEB (8mm+)	8mm bold	Premium gifting, finishing dishes, pepper mills	Highest
7mm	7–8 mm	Daily premium use, biryani, chai	High
6.5mm	6.5–7 mm	Standard household cooking	Mid
6mm	6–6.5 mm	Bulk cooking, commercial use	Lower
Small/Minor	<6mm	Powder, spice mills, mass production	Budget

Size affects price significantly — 8mm pods can cost 2–3× the 6mm ones. For home use, 7mm offers the best balance of quality and value.

How to identify authentic Kerala cardamom

Colour: Deep, vivid green. Pale yellow or dull grey-green = old stock or sulphur-bleached pods.
Firmness: Pod should be firm, not papery. Press one — authentic pods have slight resistance.
Aroma test: Crush a pod. Strong, immediate eucalyptus-camphor aroma with sweet floral notes = fresh. Weak or dusty smell = stale.
Seed test: Open one pod. Seeds should be dark brown-black, sticky, tightly packed. Light brown, dry, or loose seeds = old.
Taste: Chew one seed. Should be aromatic, sweet-pungent, with a lingering cool aftertaste. Flat or musty = poor quality.
Weight check: 100g pods should contain roughly 400–500 whole pods for 7mm grade.

Storage — keep aroma for 2+ years

Whole pods in airtight glass jar, away from light and heat: 2 years peak flavour.
Seeds (removed from pods): 6–9 months before significant aroma loss.
Powder: 2–3 months maximum — essential oils evaporate rapidly after grinding.
Do NOT refrigerate — condensation causes mould on the pods.
Buy smaller packs (100g, 250g) if you don’t cook cardamom-heavy frequently.

Cooking uses by cuisine

Indian chai: crush 3–4 pods per 2 cups water, boil with tea leaves, milk, sugar.
Kerala biryani: 6–8 whole pods per 1 kg rice, in the oil at tempering.
Kheer / payasam: ½ tsp ground cardamom per 500 ml milk, added at the end.
Arabic coffee: 1 whole pod per cup, boiled with coffee grounds.
Scandinavian baking: Swedish and Finnish buns use ½–1 tsp ground cardamom per kg flour.
Turkish coffee: pinch of ground cardamom in the brew.
Spice blends: essential in garam masala, ras el hanout, baharat.

Health benefits — what the research says

Digestive: cineole and other volatile oils stimulate digestive enzymes. Traditional use after heavy meals.
Breath freshener: chewing a pod after meals is a traditional Indian practice; the antimicrobial compounds reduce oral bacteria.
Anti-inflammatory: small studies show cardamom extract reduces inflammatory markers.
Blood pressure: some evidence suggests mild blood-pressure-lowering effect with regular consumption.
Respiratory: traditional use for cough and asthma; the cineole content supports this.

Frequently asked questions

How many cardamom pods per day is safe?

Culinary quantities (3–6 pods daily spread across dishes/tea) are safe for most adults. Very high doses may irritate the gut.

Can I replace green cardamom with black cardamom?

Not for sweet dishes or chai — black cardamom’s smoky flavour will dominate inappropriately. For savoury meat dishes, they can be interchanged with flavour adjustment.

Why is my cardamom yellow instead of green?

Two possibilities: (1) it’s old (natural fading), or (2) it was dried in strong sun without shade, or (3) it was sulphur-bleached. Buy green-coloured pods only.

Is cardamom powder better than whole pods?

No — whole pods retain aroma 5–10× longer. Buy whole and grind fresh as needed (coffee grinder works well). Pre-ground loses most aromatic oils within 3 months.

Why is Kerala cardamom more expensive than Guatemalan?

Higher labour cost in Kerala, lower yield per acre (traditional shade-grown vs Guatemalan plantation monoculture), and higher essential oil content (richer flavour). Kerala cardamom typically costs 30–50% more.

Can pregnant women consume cardamom?

Culinary amounts in food are generally safe during pregnancy. Avoid high-dose supplements or medicinal doses without consulting a doctor.

Where to buy authentic Kerala cardamom

At Kerala Spices Online, our cardamom comes directly from Idukki plantations — the heart of Kerala’s cardamom belt. Available in 8mm bold (AGEB), 7mm standard, and 6mm grades. Packed within 15 days of auction in our Kochi facility to preserve freshness.

Shop Kerala Cardamom →

About the author

Dr. Shinil Sebastian is the founder of Kerala Spices Online and a third-generation spice farmer from Kumily, Thekkady. He holds a degree in medicine and writes about traditional Kerala spices, Ayurveda, and the agricultural heritage of the Western Ghats. Kerala Spices Online has served over 50,000 customers since 2016, shipping single-origin Kerala spices worldwide.