Have you tasted the exotic flavor of cardamom? We bet you have – even if you don’t have a bottle in your cupboard. Cardamom is often added to Christmas cookies, curries and other dishes that have warm spices like nutmeg and cinnamon added.

Cardamom, a spice native to the Middle East, North Africa, and Scandinavia is used extensively in each one of these cuisines. There are three types of cardamom; green cardamom, black cardamom and Madagascar cardamom, although most recipes call for green cardamom.

Cardamom is a good source of minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Additionally, it is also an excellent source of iron and manganese. It also helps in cleansing the body as it has detoxifying properties. It is considered a warm spice and improves blood circulation to the lungs.

It’s an expensive spice; so to keep it for a longer time, buy it in the pod. When you get ready to use it, remove the seeds from the pods and grind in a spice grinder.

Cardamom Citrus Fruit Salad

2 Grapefruits

3 Navel Oranges

3 TB Pomegranate Molasses (find this in an International Store, or Whole Foods)

2 TB Honey

3 TB Fresh Lime Juice

¼ Tsp Ground Cardamom

¼ Tsp Cinnamon

2 Heads Fennel, Sliced Very Thinly

¼ Cup Chopped Mint

Step One Peel the fruit and cut in rounds.

Step Two Drain any excess juice from the fruit into a sauté pan. Add the lime juice, honey, cardamom and cinnamon to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for a minute or two and then remove from heat and let cool. Pour over fruit mixture and toss until all the fruit is coated. Serve on a bed of fennel and sprinkle with mint.