Black Cardamom Whole This is another hard to find offered by L'Epicerie. Black cardamom, or brown cardamom is also refered to as hill cardamom, Bengal cardamom, Indian cardamom, Nepal cardamom, winged cardamom. The pods possess a strong camphor-like flavor, with a smoky character derived from their drying method over open flames. Black cardamom, by contrast to green cardamom used in sweets and pastries, is better suited for hearty meat stews and similar dishes. In China, the pods are used for Jin-Jin braised meat dishes, particularly in the cuisine of the central-western province of Sichuan. Black Cardamom is often used in Vietnam for the broth of Pho noodle soup, where they are called thao qua.