Violet cardamom (alainchi)

This violet cardamom is a special black cardamom, sourced from a plant that has been cultivated in Nepal since the nineteenth century. The fruit is harvested when fully ripe. By carefully drying the fruit, it retains its beautiful color and rich flavor profile, hence 'violet'.

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 'false cardamom'. True cardamom is the smaller green cardamom. The Amomum subulatum on which the alainchi grows belongs to the same subfamily of the gingers as the plant genera Eletteria (true cardamom) and Aframomum (mbongo-pepper, grains of paradise). They have in common that the flowers stand on leafless stalks that are formed from the base of the plant.

The cultivation of Amomum subulatum began in the nineteenth century after Nepalese laborers brought the plant from Sikkim to Nepal. Commercial cultivation did not begin until a hundred years later, in the 1950s.

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

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

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

Scent and taste

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

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

Usage

Alainchi is a spice with a very distinct character and cannot be used as a substitute for the cooler, green cardamom. Like black cardamom, Alainchi is used in various spice blends such as garam masala, tandoori spices, the Chinese five-spice blend (instead of cloves), and ten-spice blends. In Szechuan, black cardamom (hēi dòukòu) is used in red-cooked dishes and stews, especially those with beef. In Nepal, it is not only used for cooking; the seeds are also used as a breath 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 yogurt and soups (such as pho), with fish, but not in sweet preparations.

Because the aromas are contained within the seeds, the seed pod is 'cracked' before use by pressing firmly on it, for example with the handle of a chef's knife, while 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. When you want to grind the seeds, you naturally open the seed pod and do not use the outer shell. Always cook the cardamom along with the dish to get the most out of it. Do not grind more than you expect to use in the short term, as the aroma dissipates quite quickly.

Features:

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

Assortment

• available in glass (45 grams) and stand-up pouch (no test tubes)
• Larger quantities on request

Gift packaging

• The jar is available in 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:

• Also store your cardamom in a closed package!
• preferably store in a dark, dry and cool place
• best before July 2027 (07-2027)
• This expiration date is an indication.

Batch number

The batch number helps us trace which supply an item originated from. It is listed on the packing slip and the invoice.