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Korerima (Ethiopian cardamom)

Spices & seasonings · Whole spices

Korerima (Ethiopian cardamom)

Ethiopian cardamom: large smoky pods whose seeds flavour berbere, niter kibbeh, doro wat and coffee.

Also called: korarima, ethiopian cardamom, false cardamom, kewrerima

Around the world: ኮረሪማ (am)

A kind of cardamom

1 recipe with it

Read the full spice guide: flavour, history and how to use it

Photo: Joe Castleman ( Gyrofrog ), via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

The dried pods of Aframomum corrorima, a ginger-family plant from Ethiopia. The pods are larger and darker than green cardamom and the seeds have a smokier, more resinous aroma. It is ground into berbere and mitmita and simmered in niter kibbeh.

Aframomum corrorima

How it’s used

  • Ground into doro wat and other wats
  • Simmered in niter kibbeh
  • Blended into berbere and mitmita
  • Added to coffee and tea

Characteristics

Taste
Warm, slightly smoky and camphor-like.
Aroma
Cardamom-like but deeper and smokier.
Sold as
whole, ground
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Mainly a seasoning

Storage

Cool, dry and dark. Keep pods whole in a jar and grind as needed; ground korerima fades within months.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
311 kcal
Protein
10.76 g
Carbohydrate
68.47 g
Fat
6.7 g
Fibre
28 g
Sugars
— g

USDA FoodData Central: Spices, cardamom (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Cardamom — Use the same amount of green cardamom; add a crushed black cardamom pod for smokiness.

Related ingredients

Recipes with korerima (ethiopian cardamom)

  • A serving of Wat (food)

    Doro wat

    Ethiopian · 2 h 20 min · 591 kcal

More whole spices