Violet cardamom (alainchi)

This violet cardamom is a special black cardamom, coming from a plant that has been cultivated in Nepal since the 19th century. The fruit is harvested when fully ripe. By drying the fruits gently, they retain their beautiful color and rich flavor palette, hence 'violet'.

Temporary: promotion! Discount on packages of 150 grams and more.

Violet cardamom  is a unique product, because most cardamoms of this type - the large cardamom - are sold as 'black cardamom' and are usually dried over charcoal.

This large cardamom is a “mock cardamom.” True cardamom is the smaller green cardamom. The Amomum subulatum on which the alainchi grows belongs to the same subfamily of the ginger family as the plant genera Eletteria (true cardamom) and Aframomum (mbongo pepper, grain of paradise). What they have in common is that the flowers are on leafless stems that are formed from the base of the plant.

The cultivation of the Amomum subulatum started in the nineteenth century after Nepalese workers brought the plant to Nepal from Sikkim. It was not until a hundred years later, in the 1950s, that commercial cultivation began.

We have given this particular cardamom the Nepalese name Alainchi to distinguish it from the usual form in which this fruit is presented, namely as 'black cardamom'. That is the same fruit, but it is dried over a smoking place (bhatty), a technique that is used not only in Nepal but also in India, Bhutan and China. Black cardamom owes its deep brown color and smoky aroma to this method of drying.

The Nepalese cardamoms are harvested by knife from August to November when they are fully ripe and beautiful violet in color. This color is retained by drying the fruits out of the sun and not over fire. The advantage of this controlled method of drying is the controllability of the process. This is lacking when drying over a fire, which can cause large differences in quality between different 'batches'.

If you want to get an idea of ​​the cultivation of this beautiful spice in Nepal, take a look at this Youtube video, feel free to scroll to the second minute - made by the Nepali Times.

Smell and taste

Alainchi has a warm, spicy aroma of resin, pine, eucalyptus and citrus, with a slight sharpness. By using it in dishes, other spices would come into their own. Think of cinnamon or cassia, Sichuan pepper, star anise and galangal, (and) the spices with which black cardamom is combined. The main flavor component is 1,8-cineole (70% of the essential oil in violet cardamom):

• 1,8-cineole, eucalyptol, the refreshing taste of mint (and eucalyptus oil)
• β-myrcene, spicy aroma, with notes of fruits (mango, grape, peach) and mint,
• α- terpineol, woody pine, citrus and lily 
• terpine-4-ol, sweet woody and peppery aroma, as in juniper, and
• t-caryophyllene, a taste between clove and turpentine

Use

Alainchi is a spice with its own character, not to be used as a substitute for the cooler, green cardamom. Alainchi is used like black cardamom in various spice blends such as garam masala, tandoori spices, the Chinese 5-spice blend (instead of cloves), and 10-spice blends. In Szechuan, black cardamom (hēi dòukòu) is used in red-cooked dishes and stews, especially those with beef.In Nepal people not only cook with them, they also use the seeds as a mouth freshener after meals. A beautiful jar of cardamom on the table is a sign of hospitality.

Good applications are: with game and wild birds, in curries and in dishes with yoghurt and soups (such as pho), with fish, but not in sweet preparations.

Because the aromas are contained in the seeds, the seed pod is 'cracked' before use by pressing firmly, for example with the handle of a chef's knife, but keeping the seed pod as a whole intact. The advantage of cracking over opening is that the seeds stay together and can be removed from the dish before serving. If you want to grind the seeds, of course open the seed pod and do not use the sheath. Always cook the cardamom with the dish to get the maximum benefit from it. Do not grind more than you think you will use in the short term, the aroma dissipates quite quickly.

Features:

• 100% dried fruits of the Amomum subulatum
• origin: Nepal

Assortment

• available in glass and stand-up pouch (no test tubes)
• glass jar contains 45 grams
• stand-up pouches with a capacity of up to 30 to 1000 grams
• larger quantities on request

Gift packaging

• the jar is available in a tasteful gift packaging, consisting of a cube box filled with black tissue paper
• for an overview of our gift packaging, please refer to the section  gift packaging 

Save:

• store your kampot pepper in closed packaging
• preferably store in a dark, dry and cool place
• best before July 2026 (07/26)
• this expiration date is an indication