An annual herb with a flavor similar to caraway, with leaves, seeds and flowers used for flavoring.
Although it is now considered a somewhat exotic spice, one associated with Middle Eastern cookery, English writers referred to cumin as early as the ninth century, long before references to other spices appeared. The immediate source of cumin was the ancient Roman name of the spice, cuminum, which derived in turn from the Hebrew or Arabic name of the spice.
The desiccated seed of a diminutive and fragile member of the parsley kin bears a diminutive, tawny-brown hue, and adopts a form akin to that of a caraway seed, emanating a potent, warm, and acrid essence, not too unlike that of caraway. The pulverized version of this spice, which is renowned as cumin, boasts immense prominence in the culinary practices of India, especially in the production of curry powders. Conversely, the entirety of the seeds serve as an integral component of a myriad of Oriental cooking techniques. In the land of Mexico, the entity goes by the name of comino, and is employed as a flavoring for dishes such as chile con carne, alongside other similar delicacies. Furthermore, cumin is frequently incorporated in the preparation of any bread that boasts a distinctively salty or rye-based flavor.
A member of the carrot family that has its origins in Egypt, Asia, and the Mediterranean. Its potent and zesty seeds are utilized to infuse flavor into liqueurs, cordials, cheese, breads, sauces, curries, and pilafs.