When I was growing up, we usually had cardamom in the house—a spice necessary for a Finnish coffee bread, nisu. On special occasions my mother made nisu, and eventually I learned to make it.
Cardamom grows only in tropical and subtropical zones. It is curious that it is a popular spice in Finland. Cardamom seeds develop in pods and are shades of brown, irregular shaped.
Lately, only the pods of cardamon have been available at my local store. So, I have been harvesting the seeds from the pods. It is a bit tedious, but I need a supply of cardamom. I enjoy the lovely scent of cardamom as I harvest the seeds.
I like to have cardamom on hand for baking, but also for making coffee. When I put coffee beans in the coffee grinder, I add 1/8 tsp. cardamom seeds and a pinch of salt. It gives the coffee a lovely flavor!
It was nice to find this Finnish recipe for nisu on-line. Coffee and nisu, a Finnish treat!
Cardamom in seed form, pods, and ground powder is available at Mountain Rose Herbs.
Sharing this post with Sweet Tea and Friends and Sunday Sunshine Blog hop and Senior Salon Pit Stop .
I started discovering cardamom a few years ago when I experimented with a couple of Indian dishes. How interesting to learn that it’s an important ingredient in Finland! I like your tip of adding it to coffee and will try that. Visiting from ST&F today.
Fresh ground coffee with cardamom has become the morning routine for us. Thanks for visiting, Kym.
I love to add a tiny bit of cardamom to muffins and quick breads but never thought of adding it to coffee. I do sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over my coffee grounds before brewing so will have to try cardamom tomorrow morning!
Cinnamon and nutmeg–I’ve added cinnamon and honey to my coffee when getting a cup at a coffee shop.