I remember the first time I ever experienced cardamom. It wasn't until I was 25 years old. I was having a meeting with one of my absolutely fabulous graduate school professors at a local coffee shop. When we met for coffee before at this place, she would get a honey cardamom latte. It smelled divine! So, that was what I had on this day. Oooooooo.M.G! It was amazing. The darkness of the espresso, the sweetness of the honey, and that one of a kind of flavor of cardamom was incredible.
I eventually purchased cardamom from my local Indian grocery store (a fantastic source of spices at great prices). It was one of the biggest splurges I have made in ages. I have become so much more cheap that spending $7 (on a good-sized container, by the way) was crazy to me. But I am so happy I did. It may be the most expensive spice in our cupboard but you only need a little. Every once in awhile, I will open the jar and smell the cardamom. I must look crazy standing there, holding a jar with the biggest, dumbest grin on my face because the smell makes me so happy.
Back to the recipe.
milk
a few teaspoons of honey
maybe 1/2 tsp of ground cardamom or a few pods
a few drops of vanilla (optional)
I put the cardamom in a small dry pot on the stove, pretty low heat and heat the cardamom up until it is really fragrant. Then I add the milk. If I am feeling really patient, I will let the cardamom and milk steep on low for like twenty minutes. When I am ready to drink it, I add the honey and vanilla. Ground cardamom, especially if you add a lot and depending on how finely ground yours is, can feel a little gritty. If you couldn't handle that, use the pods because you would take those out before drinking or strain the milk before serving. Enjoy!
