What About Cardadad?

By now we’ve all heard of and used what’s being called the sexiest spice ever: cardamom. Food critics agree that its strong taste and intense aroma bring dishes to the next level. But this critic can’t help but wonder why there’s no cardadad. I’ve had my fair share of dishes with cardamom that are indeed phenomenal and yet I still think that the dish would be served better if it had the support of another strong spice.

Think of your favorite sauce. You wouldn’t think of making it with just one spice. Sure, it would still have a flavor, but would the sauce be brought up in the right way? The average sauce will have at least two distinct spices to support it and give it the life it needs. Something to fill the role of cardadad is important to the development of a dish.

I am of the opinion that sometimes the use of two helpings of cardadad, that’s right two cardadads, can be a great benefit. Some people find this offensive or believe it to be a “sin in the eyes of God.” I say spices are spices and you can never have too much of a good thing. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just blinded by their own prejudice.

That’s not to say that cardamom isn’t good on its own. For a single spice it sure has done a good job of raising the flavor profile of many a dish. You can’t fault the cardamom for being alone in the dish – important decisions were made to get to that point. And I’ll be the first to admit that yes, sometimes you don’t ever need a cardadad to be successful. But when I’m in a restaurant sometimes I can’t help myself, I have to ask the chef what happened.

How did you get to this point? Do we even know what the cardadad is or what it could be? Was there a cardadad in the beginning but the spice had ran out by the time you went to make the dish?

Think back to your childhood and just imagine, one day you go into the kitchen and you see the cardamom and the cardadad. Maybe it has been awhile since you’ve seen the cardadad but you can’t tell how long it’s been, you’re too young. You get to take the cardadad outside to toss on some of that pigskin you’re grilling. But inside the spices clash, they ratio was wrong and the dish was ruined. Hell, your day is ruined then. And just like that there’s no more cardadad in the house.

Maybe someday we’ll discover the cardadad or find the correct substitute for it. Yet I wonder if a substitute will ever be truly right. It’s questions like these that keep me up at night. My friends and mother will tell you the same thing – it’s an issue I take to heart. I’ve never known why the idea has stuck with me. It could have something to do with my father, though I wouldn’t know, as I’ve never met him.

–JS ’16