Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) has small, curved, khaki-coloured fruits (commonly called seeds) with a warm, earthy, lingering aroma and pleasingly bitter, pungent flavour. Cumin is highly popular in the Middle East, India, North Africa, western and central Asia, Spain, and Latin America. Iran is reputed to produce top-quality cumin seeds. Toasted cumin combined with coriander is characteristic of south Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine, where it flavours dal (thin lentil soup). It’s used whole and either fried in ghee (frequently with onion) or dry-roasted. Cumin is essential for northern Indian tandoori dishes and is typical for North African tagines (meat stews) and for many Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes. Although not as common in Asia, cumin is important in Burmese cooking and is also used in Thailand and Indonesia.
Rare and more expensive, black cumin (Bunium persicum) grows wild in Iran and Kashmir. Called royal cumin, or kala jeera in India, the small, dark brown, curved seeds are highly aromatic, with a resinous, astringent flavour that’s sweeter and more complex than common (white) cumin. It’s preferred for northern Indian meat kormas and shows up in savoury dishes of North Africa and the Middle East. It is sometimes confused with the unrelated nigella seed.
- Other Names
- Cominho (Portuguese); comino (Spanish); cumin blanc, cumin du Maroc, or faux anis (French); cumino (Italian); jamda or kisibiti (Swahili); jeera (Hindi); jinten (Indonesian); kamoun (Arabic, Hebrew); kemun (Amharic); kimino (Greek); kimyon (Turkish); kmin (Russian); kreuzkümmel (German); kuming (Chinese); white cumin; yeera (Thai); zireh (Farsi).
- Purchase and Avoid
- Cumin will lose its most subtle flavour notes soon after grinding, so buy it in small quantities and choose oily-textured, khaki-coloured powder. Look for whole black cumin seeds in Indian groceries.
- Storage
- Whole cumin seeds will keep for about 3 years.
Culinary Uses
Sprinkle flatbreads, crackers, and breadsticks with cumin seeds just before baking.
Season Mexican bean dishes with toasted, ground cumin.
Food Affinities
barbecue sauce
beans
carrot
chicken
chickpeas
cilantro
corn
curries
garlic
lamb
lemon
onion
orange
peppers
tandoori chicken
turmeric
Cuisine: Global
Category: Spices and Herbs
Sub Category: Spice
- Posted12-Apr-2011
- Total Views246
- Word Count586
- Commentvia Twitter
More Articles in "Spices and Herbs"
- Nutmeg and Mace
- Nutmeg is the large, light grayish brown, speckled, wood-hard kernel that grows inside the apricot-like fruit of a tropical tree. Surrounding nutmeg in the fruit… more
- Posted on 19-Apr-2011 in Spices and Herbs
- Speserye
- Eksotiese speserye van regoor die wêreld is deesdae tot ons beskikking – tog beteken die beskikbaarheid daarvan maar min as jy nie weet hoe om dit te gebruik nie… more
- Posted on 3-Oct-2009 in Spices and Herbs
- Allspice
- Allspice takes its name from its aroma, which smells like a combination of spices, especially cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, hence the name ‘wonderpeper’… more
- Posted on 3-Nov-2009 in Spices and Herbs
- Mustard
- There are three main types of mustard, all in the Brassica (cabbage) family and all with small, rounded seeds. Relatively mild though still pungent, white mustard… more
- Posted on 14-Apr-2011 in Spices and Herbs
- Asafetida
- Asafetida is an essential ingredient in Indian vegetarian cooking. Asafetida is the strong-smelling, even stinking, dried brownish resin extracted from the root… more
- Posted on 12-Apr-2011 in Spices and Herbs
