Cumin Seeds

Cumin Seeds

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

Cumin Seeds

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