Cardamom is available in green and black varieties, though the green type is much more common. Green cardamom is usually used in sweet recipes, while black cardamom is usually used in savory recipes, but both can easily swap back and forth. Cardamom is often lumped in with other warming spices, and it shares a lot in common with them, but it has such a flavor all its own. Beyond the warm cozy flavor, green cardamom can also taste floral, citrusy, medicinal, slightly bitter, a bit tangy, and in large quantities, has almost a numbing quality like Szechuan peppercorns. Black cardamom is similar but has a slightly smoky, peppery flavor. This makes it much better suited for savory applications, especially barbecue or grilling. Cardamom is extremely popular in Indian cooking; you'll find it in chicken recipes, paired with mango, and as a staple in the spice blend garam masala. If a savory recipe calls for cardamom, coriander is the best swap, especially in rubs for meat where coriander is already present. Cardamom and coriander share the same slightly bitter and medicinal flavor, blended with a light floralness. Whole star anise pods are easily swapped for black cardamom particularly, though it can stand in for green cardamom as well in a pinch. Allspice has a slight bitterness that's similar to cardamom. In autumnal recipes that already include other warming spices, simply add in a few extra pinches of allspice in place of the cardamom.