What are Cumin Seeds?
Botanical Name : Cuminum cyminum L.
Family : Apiaceae
Commercial Part : Fruit
DESCRIPTION
Cumin is the dried, white fruit with the greyish brown colour of a small slender annual herb. The surface of the fruit has 5 primary ridges, alternatively has 4 less distinct secondary ridges bearing numerous short hairs.
The plant is 15 to 50 cm high. The aromatic seed like fruit is elongated, ovoid, 3 to 6 mm long, slightly bitter and has a warm flavour. The flowers are white or rose coloured in small umbels.
USES
Cumin seed has an aromatic odour and bitter taste. It is used as a condiment and is an ingredient in curry powders, seasonings of bread, cakes and cheese. It is employed in native dishes of Central and South America.
In medicine, it is used as a stimulant, carminative, stomachic and astringent. Cumin seed oil is used in perfumery and for flavouring liqueurs and cordials.
INDIAN NAME OF SPICES
Hindi : Jira, Jeera, Zira or Safaid jeera Or Zeera
Bengali : Safaid Jira or Zeera
Gujarati : Jiru or Jeera
Kannada : Jeeriege
Kashmiri : Zyur
Malayalam : Jeerakam
Marathi : Jeregire
Oriya : Jira, Jeera
Sanskrit : Jiraka, Jira
Tamil : Ziragum or Jeeragam
Telugu : Jidakara, Jikaka
FOREIGN NAME OF SPICES
Spanish : Comino
French : Cumin
German : Romischer Kummel
Swedish : Spiskummin
Arabic : Kammun
Dutch : Komijn
Italian : Comino
Portuguese : Cominho
Russian : Kmin
Chinese : Machin