Cumin

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is a plant and spice originally cultivated in the Mediterranean. It is most widely grown in Morocco, Egypt, India, Syria, North America and Chile. Cumin is an annual herbaceous plant. It has a tender stem that branches and reaches a height of about 30 cm. The leaves are pinnate. The flowers are small, white or pink and form umbels. The seed fruits are used as a spice. They have a characteristic bitter taste and a strong, warm aroma, due to the high content of essential oils. Cumin has a sharper taste, lighter in color and larger than caraway (Carum carvi) – another spice from the same family, which can be confused with it. Cumin is not related to black cumin – another name for the so-called nigella (Nigella sativa).

Cumin is often associated with Indian, Middle Eastern, and Mexican cuisine. It is an ingredient in curry. In herbal medicine, it is a stimulant, carminative, and antimicrobial.