Cardamom is a pod consisting of an outer shell with little flavor and tiny inner seeds with intense flavor. Stored in a glass jar, cardamom pods will stay fresh indefinitely. Shelled or decorticated cardamom seeds are flavorful, but sometimes need to be crushed or ground before use. Ground cardamom has an intensely strong flavor and is easy to use (especially in baking, where the fine powder is desirable). In India, where both green and black cardamom are used, it is an important ingredient in meat and vegetable dishes. In Northern Europe, white cardamom is used to season baked goods such as Christmas stollen, cakes, cookies, muffins and buns. Black cardamom has a unique smoky flavor and has developed its own following over the years.
