Cumin is a herb from the Apiaceae family, used in food and drink, with a history of use dating back 5,000 years. It grows to 1.5-4 feet and is harvested for its fruit, which is gray-green or greenish-brown when ripe.
An herb is a plant whose leaves, seeds, or flowers are used to flavor food or in medicine. Other uses of herbs include cosmetics, dyes and perfumes. The name comes from the Latin herba, which means “green crops”.
Cumin (Carum carvi) is used as a vegetable, as well as an herb, and comes from the same family, Apiaceae, as dill, anise and cumin. Some of the names for cumin, such as the German Kümmel, tend to be confusing because they come from a root word that refers to the similar herb, cumin. Both English and Dutch refer to cumin as wild cumin / komijn Wilde. In Icelandic, cumin is Kummin, while cumin is Kúmen.
History. With reports that its use lasted 5,000 years, cumin was certainly used in 1552 BC at Thebes, as recorded in a papyrus medical record. It is also reportedly one of the earliest seasonings used in Europe.
Description. Like other members of its family, cumin is a tall plant, with feather-green leaflets. It grows to a height of 1½ to 4 feet (.46 to 1.22 meters). The flowers are white and the fruit, which looks like ribbed seeds and is often mistakenly referred to as a seed, is gray-green or greenish-brown when ripe.
Gardening. The fruit of the caraway plant, a biennial, usually ripens in the second year, occasionally the third, after which the plant flowers white or pink, often in May. Cumin prefers a sunny, dry location.
Food and other uses. Cumin is used to flavor breads and pastries, especially rye bread and Irish bread, sauerkraut and other cabbage dishes and stews. It is the primary flavor of Kummel liqueur and Aquavit, sometimes described as a type of flavored vodka.
Preservation. The flower heads should be harvested after they die, but cut off some stems so you can tie and hang them. Some seeds may fall during the drying process, so it’s a good idea to place a container or paper under the plant to catch them. Shaking the flower heads will loosen the remaining seeds when drying is complete.
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