Botanical Name : Cuminum cyminum L.
Family : Apiaceae
Commercial Part : Fruit
DESCRIPTION
Cumin is the dried, white fruit with 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.
ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION
Cumin is the dried, white fruit with 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 have an aromatic odour and bitter taste. It is used as a condiment, and is an ingredient in curry powders, seasonings of breads, 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 Jeeru
- Kannada : Jeeriege
- Kashmiri : Zyur
- Malayalam : Jeerakam
- Marathi : Jeregire
- Oriya : Jira, Jeera
- Sindhi : Zero
- 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