Im used to pods cardamom and although it smell magnificent, I will go back to pods or drops. I feel the pods are more convenient but I do recommend this product!I make a wonderful, healthy, delicious tea with "Cut and Sift (chunky)" (not powdered) herbs: Cinnamon 63%, Cardamom 19% , Ginger10%, Cloves 4%, and Black Peppercorns 4% (all by weight, do the math, use an electronic scale if you have one). It has to be simmered in filtered in water (1 1/2 cups of this mix, to 3 gallons filtered water) for about 2 hours, strain off the used herbs, and then add 1/3 whole organic dairy or non-dairy milk per serving. My favorite sweetener: maple syrup. And just a dash of salt per cup (brings out more flavor). Black tea if you like. It's the original Yogi Tea, brought from India to global cultures for yogis and everyone by Yogi Bhajan in 1969. I've been drinking it ever since. I used to serve this at a free kitchen, and after explaining all the health benefits, I would end by saying, "But, you know, the main reason to drink it?" The response would come, "Why?" I'd answer, "To have an experience of Happiness." I never had a dissatisfied "Customer!" Any nearly always a request for another cup of this good old homemade yogi tea.Cardamom is a unique and versatile spice, used in sweet and in savory dishes, particularly popular in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking but useful in almost every dish. Like many people, I love adding a pinch to a cup of coffee or cider, and cardamom is almost indispensable for Scandinavian dishes from pastries to meatloaf. But because the spice requires so much hand processing, cardamom is one of the costliest spices.Starwest's Organic Cardamom as I purchased it is the ground seeds; purists prefer the whole seeds or pods, which must be ground before use or strained from the finished dish, but I've found Starwest's product rivals home-ground closely enough to be perfectly acceptable for everyday use, and the price makes it entirely reasonable to use a little extra if it seems desirable to add more flavor, though the organic product is already much more flavorful than some. Certainly it is far more convenient in this form.If you're not familiar with cardamom, give it a try; in addition to adding an enticing new quality to the flavor of your favorite dishes, there are even a number of claimed health benefits.This stuff's expensive but a little bit goes a long way. Nice & strong but delightfully fragrant - cldn't be w/out it :) I believe it has medicinal uses as well.I thought about buying dried berries... I buy my nutmeg in the shell and I thought this would be similar. But the reviews for the berries said some seeds were desiccated or... didn't look right. So, I bought these seeds instead. Figuring that the seeds would be inspected prior to bagging. This bag of cardamom seeds looks great! The ground flavor and aroma is awesome! I made the right choice!I have had this product for almost 6 months now and the smell is just as potent as it was when I first purchased it. The smell is so strong and intoxicating (in a good way)!!! A lot of cardamom that I have bought is so bland in flavor and aroma. THIS IS NOT!!! You will not be disappointed! We take a couple pinches of seed and throw it in the coffee maker when brewing coffee. It is soooo tasty, smooths the flavor, and you don't need as much cream or sugar! I also steep it in a little tea strainer with many different varieties of tea. So many ways to use it! I love love love it! So happy! Will not buy another brand! This is the one!!!My son takes a tablespoon or so of this spice in this form every morning. He suffers from IBS, and it calms his digestive system enough to allow him to get a good night's sleep. If you have an IBS sufferer in the house, they may benefit.You can grind it (or not; the seeds aren't large, though of a size to be an incredible nuisance if you wear dentures) and sprinkle it in your coffee/juice/smoothie/tea, add it to your cereal, or just swallow it straight.This spice's other magic power is in reducing/eliminating the caffeine-withdrawal headache. Roll some whole cardamom (this form, not still in its pod) around on your tongue, and that Headache from Hades will go away, instantly, and stay gone for at least two hours. I speak from experience.Cardamom loses its strength very rapidly once ground, so I'd use this instead. We powder it in a coffee grinder.I use these ground with coffee, and for some baking of Scandinavian rolls. I do grind most to my own preference, and find that the flavor lasts longer when storing in the original packaging in the freezer. Overall, they are fine, but I have purchased some in the past with a bit of a softer texture, and almost a hint of blood orange fruitiness. Those were my favorite, especially for baking, but I have been unable to find them again.I just received this product today. It arrived quickly, securely and exactly as advertised and expected. I opened the bag and was rewarded by the heavenly smell of very fresh and aromatic cardamom! Anyone who makes scandinavian baked goods (mainly sweet breads) will be familiar with cardamom. Pre-ground cardamom can be much less aromatic, and even cut with unknown fillers. You can buy green cardamom pods and peel them yourself but that is time-consuming. Buying whole seed without the pod is the ideal middle ground. I am very pleased with both the quality of the product, and the delivery aspects. And a plus is that the cardamom is organic - I try to buy organic where feasible so this was a bonus. Thank you!Great product ... just a bit pricey. Can buy it cheaper at bulk sore.Great product.