Cardamom

Is there any spice more Indian than cardamom? The cardamom plant is native to India and some surrounding Asian countries. It is closely related to ginger. There are two types of cardamom used in Indian cuisine, green and black. Black is used with North Indian curries and red meats like lamb and goat. Green is traditionally used for sweets. Green cardamom is "Indian vanilla," used to give nearly any sweet an extra pop of flavor. Cardamom can also be used to add a little fanciness to a dish, especially rice, and it is an essential ingredient of chai masala.