BuyingGreen cardamom is graded mainly by the diameter of the pod, measured in millimetres. After drying, pods are passed through sieves with round holes; the size of the hole a pod will not pass through gives it its grade.
Bigger is pricier — but not always better for you
Large 8 mm and 8.5 mm pods look impressive and command the highest prices. They are the right choice when appearance matters: gift boxes, premium retail packs, whole-spice dishes where the pod is seen on the plate.
If the cardamom will be ground into a powder, brewed into tea or blended into masala, nobody will see the pod. A 6–7 mm or 7–8 mm grade gives you the same seeds and aroma for considerably less.
What "rejection" grades are
Pods with small marks, splits or uneven colour are separated into rejection grades. The flavour is still there, which makes them a smart buy for grinding and for spice processors.
