Cumin, Ground

Description

Cumin (sometimes spelled cummin; Cuminum cyminum) is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to East India. Its seeds, in ground form, are used in the cuisines of many different cultures.  Cumin is the dried seed of the herb Cuminum cyminum, a member of the parsley family. The cumin plant grows to 0.98–1.6 ft tall and is harvested by hand.  Cumin seeds resemble caraway seeds, being oblong in shape, longitudinally ridged, and yellow-brown in color, like other members of the Umbelliferae family such as caraway, parsley and dill.  Cumin has been in use since ancient times. Seeds excavated at the Syrian site Tell ed-Der have been dated to the second millennium BC. They have also been reported from several New Kingdom levels of ancient Egyptian archaeological sites.  Superstition during the Middle Ages cited cumin as keeping chickens and lovers from wandering. It was also believed a happy life awaited the bride and groom who carried cumin seed throughout the wedding ceremony.

The aromatic, somewhat bitter, flavor of Ground Cumin is essential to good chili. Virtually all Mexican meat or bean dishes contain a generous amount of cumin (called “comino” in Mexican recipes) as do foods from many other Latin American countries. Swiss and Dutch countries use cumin seed to flavor certain cheeses, while various European countries flavor breads with cumin.

1.1 oz. & 3.4 oz.