Is Hail the Same as Cardamom? Cardamom Extract Guide

مستخلص حبهان بودر - Cardamom extract powder

Is hail the same as cardamom?

Yes. Hail (هيل) and habahan (حبهان) are two Arabic names for the same spice, Elettaria cardamomum: small green pods holding dark, fragrant seeds. The aroma comes from the essential oil inside the seeds, which is why cardamom is one of the most expensive spices a kitchen buys.

What is cardamom extract powder?

Al Laith cardamom extract powder is made from real cardamom oil and turned into an easy-to-weigh powder. It is also called hail extract, concentrated cardamom or concentrated cardamom powder.

The numbers that matter

100 g of premium natural cardamom = 50–60 g of Al Laith concentrated extract.
You use 40–50% less than natural cardamom.
No husks to pick out of the rice or broth.
Packs: 1 kg and 5 kg packs and 15 and 25 kg bags.

Where restaurants use it

The extract is made for food that is cooked and simmered, because boiling and fat spread its aroma through the whole pot: mandi, kabsa and Bukhari rice, meat and chicken stews and broths, soups, and cooked oriental sweets. Mandi and kabsa restaurants, Levantine grill houses and hotel kitchens are its main users.

How to use it

Weigh it: if your recipe uses 100 g of cardamom, start with 50 g of extract and go up to 60 g to match the aroma your guests know.
Add it to the broth or the rice water before boiling so the aroma spreads.
Write the new weight on the recipe card so every chef on every shift uses the same amount.

For clove aroma in the same dishes, see our clove extract powder.

How to order

Al Laith supplies restaurants, hotels and cloud kitchens across Egypt. Send the quantity you need on WhatsApp +20 127 178 8665 for a quote. Delivery is free inside Cairo; for other governorates the courier's fee is told when you order.