Cardamom Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Ground cardamom contains 28mg manganese per 100g — an extraordinary 1,217% of the daily value. This makes it the highest-manganese common kitchen spice, exceeding cloves (2.0mg), cinnamon (17.5mg), and black pepper (12.8mg). Among all foods, only wheat germ (13.3mg) and pine nuts (8.8mg) come within striking distance on a per-weight basis ^[1][2].

At practical serving sizes, the contribution is still meaningful: 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom (2g) delivers 0.56mg manganese (24% DV). Three pods (~0.9g) provide 0.25mg (11% DV). For a spice used in pinch-to-teaspoon quantities, this is an unusually high real-world mineral contribution — unlike most spice nutrients that vanish at per-serving scale ^[1].

For food journaling, cardamom is one of the rare spices where per-serving manganese tracking is genuinely worthwhile. A single cup of elaichi chai (with 1/4 tsp cardamom) adds 0.14mg manganese (6% DV) — more than the manganese in a banana (0.27mg) per calorie.

Cardamom has 28g dietary fiber per 100g — exactly 100% of the FDA daily value in a single 100g serving. This fiber density exceeds chia seeds (34.4g), flaxseed (27.3g), and all other common spices except cinnamon (53.1g). The fiber is predominantly from the pod husk and seed coat ^[1][3].

The per-serving reality: 1 tsp ground cardamom (2g) provides 0.56g fiber (2% DV). 1 tbsp (6g) provides 1.68g fiber (6% DV). In recipes that use cardamom generously — biryani (6–8 pods), kheer (3–4 pods), or masala chai (2–3 pods per cup) — the cumulative fiber from cardamom across daily meals might reach 1–2g ^[1].

For food logging, cardamom contributes measurable fiber per teaspoon — more than most other spices at the same portion. But it should not be counted as a primary fiber source; its fiber contribution is a bonus that accompanies its flavor role.

Cardamom's mineral profile is remarkably broad: 14.0mg iron (78% DV), 229mg magnesium (55% DV), 383mg calcium (30% DV), 7.5mg zinc (68% DV), and 1,119mg potassium (24% DV) per 100g. Few single ingredients deliver meaningful percentages of this many minerals simultaneously ^[1][2].

Per teaspoon (2g): 0.28mg iron (1.6% DV), 4.58mg magnesium (1.1% DV), 7.66mg calcium (0.6% DV), 0.15mg zinc (1.4% DV), and 22.4mg potassium (0.5% DV). These per-serving numbers are modest but non-negligible across 2–3 daily uses. Per tablespoon (6g): iron rises to 0.84mg (4.7% DV) — similar to the iron in half a cup of cooked rice ^[1].

For food journaling, cardamom's mineral breadth means it contributes trace amounts of multiple minerals simultaneously. If logging iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium together, cardamom is one of few spices that registers measurably across all four in a single teaspoon.

Cardamom's distinctive cool-camphor-eucalyptus aroma comes from 1,8-cineole (also called eucalyptol), which constitutes 20–50% of the essential oil, and α-terpinyl acetate, which accounts for 20–35%. Together, these two compounds make up 50–80% of cardamom essential oil. The oil itself represents approximately 2–10% of seed weight depending on freshness and variety ^[2][3].

Other notable volatile compounds include limonene (1–6%), linalool (3–5%), linalyl acetate (0.5–7%), and myrcene (1.5–3%). Black cardamom (Amomum subulatum), used primarily in savory dishes, has a very different oil profile dominated by 1,8-cineole and camphor with smoky notes from the drying process ^[3].

For food journaling, none of these volatile compounds appear in any standard nutrition database. The aromatic profile that defines cardamom — and determines whether a dish tastes like chai or biryani — is invisible to calorie and nutrient tracking. If logging phytonutrient diversity, cardamom's terpenoid profile is unique among common spices.

Cardamom is used in two forms — whole pods (biryani, chai, curries) and ground powder (desserts, spice blends). A single green cardamom pod weighs approximately 0.3g, providing: 0.9 kcal, 0.03g protein, 0.08mg manganese (4% DV), and 0.04mg iron (0.2% DV). The conversion ratio is roughly 6–7 pods = 1 teaspoon ground cardamom ^[1].

Recipes vary in cardamom intensity: elaichi chai typically uses 1–2 crushed pods (0.3–0.6g); biryani uses 4–8 pods (1.2–2.4g); kheer or halwa uses 2–4 pods (0.6–1.2g); garam masala includes cardamom as 5–10% of the blend. For journaling, track the actual weight consumed, not the recipe weight — since whole pods in biryani are often left on the plate ^[1].

For food journaling accuracy: if pods are removed before eating (as in rice dishes), log zero. If pods are crushed and consumed (as in chai or ground into powder), log the full weight. This distinction matters because cardamom is one of the few spices where the per-serving mineral contribution (especially manganese) is genuinely measurable.