It the beginning it was with the smell of saffron and homemade pasta in my grandma's kitchen, those of wild fennel seeds and pepper in grilled sausages, of bay leaves and lemon peel and myrtle, all traditional perfumes of sardinian cooking, but in more recent years my new relationship with spices had an unusual culprit: chewing gum!You may wonder what the heck has chewing gum to do with spices, and if you want to learn more you can read it here but, long story short: 

I decided to quit chewing gum for environmental reasons, and wanted a natural alternative, easy to carry with me every time, not perishable, and with great taste... and finally I found the perfect solution:

a spice, long lasting, with breath freshening and digestion helping properties, and that came with its own biodegradable but sturdy packaging!

(ta-daaan: enters the cardamom pod)

I went out to find some pods and when I tried one it was a revelation: inside the green pods of cardamom there are small black/brown seeds that when chewed release a complex citrusy taste, a bit spicy, but herbal with hints of menthol.

It tasted great, and freshened my breath way better that any gum!

I was conquered, I filled a tin box with cardamom pods and took them always with me, I become the cardamom evangelist in my city, I offered my precious green pods to everybody, praising their virtues. 

I ate a lot of cardamom and wherever I went I was preceded by its exotic scent…

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