Kerala Cardamom 8mm vs 7mm: A Buyer's Grade Guide

What does "grade" mean in cardamom?

When you buy green cardamom online, you'll see labels like 8 mm, 7 mm, AGEB, Extra Bold and Bold. These describe mainly size: pods are sieved and sold by diameter. Bigger pods are usually fuller and heavier, and they look more impressive, so they cost more.

The main sizes explained

8 mm and above: bold

The biggest pods from a harvest. Plump, green and heavy for their size.

• Aroma: strong
• Best for: chai, biryani, payasam, gifting, and any dish where whole pods show
• Price: highest

7 to 8 mm: medium-bold

Slightly smaller, still good quality. In daily use, the difference from 8 mm is small, especially if the 7 mm lot is fresher.

• Aroma: good
• Best for: everyday chai, rice dishes, blends
• Price: mid-range

Below 7 mm and mixed sizes

A lot of supermarket cardamom is smaller or mixed. It isn't necessarily bad, but look for freshness and seed fill.

What does AGEB mean?

AGEB stands for Alleppey Green Extra Bold. "Alleppey Green" is the traditional trade name for green cardamom from Kerala, after the old trading port of Alleppey (Alappuzha). "Extra Bold" is the top size grade under India's AGMARK grading standards, which also set minimum weight requirements. It's a size and quality grade, not a guarantee of freshness.

How to judge grade and quality when buying online

1. Size stated clearly: 7 mm, 8 mm and so on.
2. Colour: natural green, not pale, yellowed or unnaturally uniform bright green.
3. Origin: a seller who names the district (for example Idukki) usually knows the product.
4. On arrival: crack a few pods. Seeds should be dark and sticky, with a strong smell.

Which grade should you buy?

Freshness matters as much as size. A fresh 7 mm pod beats an old 8 mm pod.

Why Kerala cardamom?

Small green cardamom in India is grown mainly in the hills of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, with Kerala's Idukki district the largest growing area. Its cool, rainy, shaded hill conditions suit the plant well.

More detail in Kerala cardamom grades explained.

→ Shop Extra Bold Idukki cardamom from Pure Leven

Pure Leven sells only 8–8.5 mm Extra Bold cardamom. Some of it is grown on our own farm in Rajakumari, Idukki; when our harvest runs short, we buy from other growers and hold it to the same grade. Pods are whole and dryer-dried.