Nawal Nasrallah

Cardamom

Appears in
Delights from the Garden of Eden
Delights from the Garden of Eden

By Nawal Nasrallah

Published 2019

  • About

Cardamom/green or lesser cardamom (heil) is a key spice in the Middle Eastern cuisine. Baghdadis like it so much they call it teen il-Janna (mud of Paradise). It is used in savory and sweet dishes such as rice, meat dishes, desserts, as well as beverages like tea and coffee. It is believed to be effective as a digestive and breath-freshener.

Among Bedouins, the lavish use of cardamom in coffee offered to guests is an indication of generosity on the part of the host. Green cardamom is the best; the white variety is simply bleached green cardamom.