Cardamom Litre Weight: The Grade Number Most Buyers Miss

Cardamom litre weight is how many grams one litre of whole pods weighs. Heavier pods are fuller and more mature, with more seed inside, so a higher litre weight usually means more smell and better value per pod. India's grade standards for Alleppey Green cardamom set minimum litre weights, roughly 385 g for the smaller grades and 435 g for the boldest.

Most buyers look at pod size. Traders look at litre weight. The sections below cover why that is and how to check it in your own kitchen.

What does litre weight measure?

Density. Fill a one litre container with pods, level it, and weigh it. A litre of plump, well-filled pods can weigh over 400 grams. A litre of light, immature or hollow pods can weigh well under that.

Two packs can look the same size in a photo and be very different inside. Litre weight catches what the eye misses.

Why does litre weight matter more than size?

Size only tells you how big the husk is. Pods picked before they're mature can be large but thin-walled, with pale, underdeveloped seeds, and they dry light.

Mature pods have dark, full seeds packed tight. The seeds carry the aroma oils, so more seed means more smell. That's why the trade treats litre weight as a quality number alongside size and colour.

Grades and minimum litre weight

Indian grade standards for cardamom pair a minimum pod size (the sieve the pods are retained on) with a minimum weight per litre. The figures below are for Alleppey Green grades, as listed on the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority's cardamom page.

Grade	Pod size	Minimum litre weight
AGEB (Extra Bold)	7 mm sieve	435 g
AGB (Bold)	6 mm sieve	385 g
AGS (Superior)	5 mm sieve	385 g

These are minimums, so a good lot can weigh more. Grade names and sizes in everyday trade don't always match the formal standard, and sellers use "8 mm" or "7 to 8 mm" loosely. Treat the table as a guide to how the system works and not as a price list.

For the full picture of grades, including trade names like pinchu, bulk and fruit seed, read cardamom grades explained.

How can you check litre weight at home?

You don't need a full litre. A kitchen scale and a measuring cup will do.

1. Take a 250 ml measuring cup and note its empty weight, or zero the scale with it on.
2. Pour pods in loosely from a little height. Don't press or shake.
3. Level the top with a flat knife and remove pods sticking above the rim.
4. Weigh the pods.
5. Multiply by four to get grams per litre.

Do it twice and average. Pouring and levelling shift the result a little, so compare packs with the same method and don't chase an exact number.

What result should you expect?

If your 250 ml cup of pods weighs around 100 g or more, you're near the bolder grades. Somewhere around 80 to 90 g is more usual for smaller or mixed grades. Much lower and the pods are probably light, immature or old.

What makes cardamom light?

• Early picking. Immature pods have undeveloped seeds and dry light.
• Pest damage. Some pests leave pods poorly filled or empty.
• A poor season. Drought or heavy rain at the wrong time affects filling.
• Spent pods. Pods that have had their oil extracted are light and nearly odourless.

Colour and litre weight often go together, since pods picked ripe and dried well tend to be both green and heavy. Our post on why good cardamom is green covers colour.

Should home cooks pay for the heaviest grade?

Not always. For chai, payasam and biryani, a well-filled medium grade does the job. The boldest grades are prized for looks, gifting and serving whole. What matters most is that the pods are mature, well dried and fresh.

When buying online, it's fair to ask a seller about size and litre weight. Our guide to buying cardamom online in India has more questions worth asking.

Our cardamom

Our cardamom comes from Idukki, dried in a cardamom dryer and packed whole, with nothing added, in a resealable pouch. Message us on WhatsApp if you want to ask about the batch you're buying. It's here: Kerala Cardamom whole pods. For more on choosing and using cardamom, see the Kerala cardamom guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is bigger cardamom always heavier?

No. Large pods picked early can be light and hollow. Litre weight measures how full the pods are, which is why graders check it alongside size.

What does AGEB on a cardamom pack mean?

Alleppey Green Extra Bold, the top grade for size. Formally it means pods retained on a 7 mm sieve with a minimum litre weight of 435 g. Some sellers use the label loosely, so it's fair to ask how the lot was graded.

Try the measuring cup test on the next pack you open. It takes two minutes.

Sources

• WDRA (Government of India), cardamom grade specifications