Botanical: Cardamom
Cardamom is one of the world’s most expensive spices, some say only surpassed by vanilla and saffron. The plant is native to Southeast Asia, in particular India which has been one of the world’s largest producers since the days of the spice trade.Very little cardamom is needed to impart its strong, resinous and slightly cooling flavor, familiar to anyone who has had chai tea. In recent times, it has become emblematic of the contemporary gin movement. In part, due to its overuse in some early contemporary style gins. Cardamom can provide gins a distinctive sweet spicy flavor that works incredibly well with juniper and coriander.