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Black cardamom is a red stemmed, tall, clustering, evergreen with abundant glossy, slim, tropical leaves. The mostly yellow or white flowers form at the base of the dull reddish-brown spreading rhizomes that then produce the fruit that contains the cardamom seed that is used as a spice. Black cardamom is a popular Indian spice, called badi elaichi or kali elaichi, that is used in many of the cuisine's signature dishes. It is in the form of seed pods, which are dark brown to black in color and take on a smokey flavor due to the way they are dried. Cardamom is used for its bold and assertive taste and is the world's third-most expensive spice, surpassed in price per weight only by vanilla and saffron. Both the pods and the seeds are used in cooking and available year-round. The black cardamom pods benefit from long, slow cooking times in moist heat, and work well with other strong-flavored spices. If using ground, a little goes a long way, so the spice should be used sparingly.