A Worthy Spice
I've seen some people taste our Cardamom Raisin and watch their eyes light up, as they recount a happy memory of their grandma's Scandinavian baking. You can find how cardamom made its way to Scandinavia in the first place, here. But for the most part, whenever I've done store demos where I pass out free samples - and the number of demos is probably into the hundreds, people are dubious of this flavor, because they've never heard of it. They usually bypass it, opting to taste the more classic Cinnamon Cranberry instead. It's not until I urge them to try the Cardamom Raisin, that they understand why it's as worthy of shelf space as our more traditional and beloved American flavors. As I've seen it slowly popping up in local bakery breads and coffee shop cookies, my hope is that cardamom will become as ubiquitously offered as cinnamon and nutmeg.
Cardamom and Commerce
In the past couple of years, cardamom has become as pricey as vanilla. You can see why cardamom is generally a more expensive spice in the first place, here. However, in addition the COVID pandemic and bad weather in eastern cardamom-producing countries, such as India has made the spice scarce, and therefore, even more expensive. Case in point: I watched the price of cardamom skyrocket per pound from $12.99 to $40.00 in a matter of months in 2020. You can learn more here.
A few facts: 1.Guatemala is the world's largest cardamom producer, and in various articles I've read, it is now nearing the end of it's supply.
2. If you are wondering, the cardamom we use is from Canada.
Conclusion 
As I was researching for this blog post, I found beauty in the fact that cardamom, which is just a spice; just a flavor that enhances ones' eating experience is such a big deal to so many people all over the world. It is a crucial ingredient in many countries' cuisines, and I get it! We're choosing to pay more for the good stuff, so YOU can have the good stuff(no price hike involved); AND so you can have the good stuff in gluten free and grain free form. Cuz life is short.
Thanks for reading!