Cardamom

Cardamom is India's second most expensive spice after saffron, and its perfumery use is almost as old. The green pods grow on tall ginger-family plants in the Western Ghats, and the seeds give a scent that is sharp, slightly menthol, aromatic, and surprisingly fresh. Cardamom appears in masala chai, in Kerala biryani, and in nearly every Middle Eastern fragrance ever made. By Vedic logic, cardamom is Mercury and Jupiter: Mercury in its bright, aromatic clarity and its connection to breath and speech, Jupiter in its association with ceremony, abundance, and sacred offering. Cardamom is the spice note that opens a perfume, gives it lift, makes it readable. It is rarely the soloist but consistently the most elegant supporting player. On skin it reads as composed, slightly aristocratic, never showy. Wear it in autumn and winter. Pairs with rose, sandalwood, and leather.