What makes Emperor Akbar the world’s top-most cardamom exporter
Cardamom is called the ‘Queen of Spices’, and with plenty of good reason. But there’s more to cardamom than just adding flavour and taste to various cuisines, delicacies and desserts. This God-given condiment also has excellent medicinal properties and may help manage several kinds of ailments and medical conditions.
When so much is riding on it, there’s all the more reason to ensure that the quality of the cardamom you’re purchasing is above board. But does that mean there are poor, inferior or even spurious qualities in cardamom?
Spurious unlikely, because cardamom is natural and not man-made; but there are definite levels and grades when it comes to quality. As a discerning buyer and someone concerned for your family’s health and wellbeing, here’s what you should know when it comes to buying cardamom.
Aroma and Flavour
Cardamom doesn’t generally spoil, but it can lose its potency — which is its aroma and flavour. Once the potency is lost, it’s more or less useless as it cannot impart intensity to the dishes it is being added to, specifically for the reason of flavour.
Fresh cardamom is always the best. But it isn’t like the cardamom that reaches you was harvested ten minutes ago! Thus it all comes down to how the pods were packed, stored and transported. Cardamom that is securely handled right from harvesting to packaging to transportation, following stringent operating procedures, will best seal in all its natural goodness. Such type of cardamom, coming from only top-most exporters like Emperor Akbar, will reach you with all its aroma and flavour securely locked in.
Which brings up the question: Where does the aroma and flavour come from? It’s all in the oil which is itself contained in the seeds. The simple thumb rule is: greater the diameter of the pod, more the seed ratio, hence greater the oil content and thus greater the aroma and flavour. However, this oil is volatile and will gradually evaporate over a period of time.
That’s why, even after the cardamom reaches you from cardamom exporters or retailers, storage becomes the key factor in maintaining its potency. In the end, like every other natural produce, time itself is the biggest enemy. Cardamom that has been improperly stored or stored for too long, can lose the vibrancy of its colour and more important the intensity of its aroma and flavour.
Identifying Potency
So how does one identify the best-grade cardamom in the first place?
It’s in the colour of the husks and seeds, but easier identified by the aroma. Discoloured husks are an indicator of staleness. Again, seeds that are pale or lighter tan in colour (as opposed to dark brown or black) indicate staleness, which is often seen in the case of elaichi suppliers. But the simplest test would be to cup a handful of pods and smell it. Instinctively you’ll know how much of the original freshness is still packed in, by the aroma that hits you.
Unfortunately, it’s never a good idea to buy cardamom loose. Precisely because you don’t know how long the pods have been kept exposed — which is the worst way to store them. But that doesn’t automatically mean that all packaged cardamom is of good quality. Because, as mentioned earlier, how the cardamom is packed, stored and transported by the cardamom wholesaler is just as important. Improperly packed or transported cardamom can just as easily lose its oil content to evaporation — and you now know that cardamom with lower oil content means weak aroma and flavour too. Useless!
World’s Best Cardamom
All things considered, you can never go wrong when you purchase Emperor Akbar Cardamom. This is officially certified as the best Alleppey Green Cardamom in the entire world. Emperor Akbar is one of only two entities on the planet conferred with this specific and coveted GI Tag. Which means, no one else can even so much as claim to produce, market or promote Alleppey Green Cardamom!
But beyond even coveted certifications, there are several more reasons that make Emperor Akbar the best cardamom in the whole world. Which means the art of buying the right cardamom is now amazingly simplified… just make sure you buy only Emperor Akbar Cardamom! That simple!!
But if you still need more convincing, keep an eye out for the second part of this blog. From scrupulous selection of the pods to innovative packaging to the historic legacy that goes back a few generations, that piece will tell you all you’ll ever need to know about the world’s best elaichi.