Spices For Fruits
How do you think cardamom would work with grilled fruits?
I think cardamom would work quite well with grilled fruits, though personally I tend to only use cardamom with apples. I’m not sure why that is, except that I haven’t really experimented with that spice too much, beyond discovering what happens when you use too much of it: a bitter, astringent flavor dominates the dish. Therefore, if you’re going to use it, I’d recommend that you don’t use very much: about the same amount as you use nutmeg (~1/4 tsp for most purposes).
I mentioned in my grilled peaches post that I tend to use the same spices for most fruits, but I didn’t explain how or why I adjust what spices I use and in what ratios. Basically, I try to use more of the spices that I think go well with a particular fruit.
For the peach spice mix, I used a teaspoon of ginger. Sometimes, for peaches, I might even use more than that: I like how peaches and ginger taste together. For blueberries, I usually ease up on or eliminate the ginger, but emphasize the cinnamon and allspice. For apples, I’ll add in about as much cardamom as I use nutmeg. I use about the same spice mixture when I roast winter squashes (such as pumpkin, acorn, butternut, and hubbard), too: about equal on the ginger as I use for peaches, plus I’ll add in some cloves, but not too much because they can dominate a dish.
Have a question about something culinary? Email me! I’ll research the matter and post a response.