McCormick Gourmet Organic Whole Cardamom Pods add citrusy-sweet flavors and floral aroma to sweet and savory dishes around the world. The cardamom pod is the dried fruit of a plant in the ginger family. The green triangular pods hold the black seeds, which are finely ground for the ground spice. The pods are added whole to recipes or sometimes crushed to expose the seeds. Cardamom is native to India where it adds its enticing flavor to spice blends, curries, rice pilafs, and chai. Across the globe in Scandinavia, cardamom is used as a baking spice in cakes, cookies, and buns. Add the pods to stews, pickling and mulling spices, custards for rice pudding and ice cream, and syrups for beverages. The pod's outer hull should be removed after cooking.