Cumin

Listing ID #4290267

Cumin sometimes spelled cummin; Cuminum cyminum) is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to India. Its seeds (each one contained within a fruit, which is dried) are used in the cuisines of many different cultures, in both whole and ground form.

Description:

Cumin is the dried seed of the herb Cuminum cyminum, a member of the parsley family. The cumin plant grows to 30–50 cm (0.98–1.6 ft) tall and is harvested by hand. It is an annual herbaceous plant, with a slender, branched stem 20–30 cm tall. The leaves are 5–10 cm long, pinnate or bipinnate, with thread-like leaflets. The flowers are small, white or pink, and borne in umbels. The fruit is a lateral fusiform or ovoid achene 4–5 mm long, containing a single seed. Cumin seeds resemble caraway seeds, being oblong in shape, longitudinally ridged, and yellow-brown in color, like other members of theumbelliferae family such as caraway, parsley and dill.

Scientific Name : Cuminum Cyminum
Family Name : Apiaceae
Commercial part : Fruit

Botany:

Cumin, a small, annual herbaceous plant of the parsley family, grows to a height of about 25 cm. It flourishes best in sunny places with some rainfall. The small white or pink flowers grow on small compound umbels. The small, boat-shaped seed has nine ridges and it is brown-yellow in colour.The reported life zone of cumin is 9 to 26 degrees centigrade with an annual precipitation of 0.3 to 2.7 meters and a soil pH of 4.5 to 8.3. Cumin thrives on rich, well-drained sandy loam soil. The plant, which needs mild temperatures during a three to four month growing season, is intolerant of long periods of dry heat. Plant the seeds in a sunny location after the soil has become warm in spring. If the rows are 2 feet apart, with 16 to 20 seeds to the foot, no thinning will be necessary. Cultivate to control weeds.

It is used for its strong and very pleasing flavour and has qualities of digesting food. Cumin seeds has a penetrating flavour and aroma. Cumin seeds are used commercially as a principal ingredient in curry powder and are extensively used in Mexican dishes and marinades for meats.

Medical Usage:

In Sanskrit, Cumin is known as Jiraka. Jira means “that which helps digestion”. In Ayurvedic system of medicine, dried Cumin seeds are used for medicinal purposes. The dried cumin seeds are powdered and used in different forms like kashaya (decoction), arishta (fermented decoction), vati(tablet/pills), and processed with ghee (a semi-fluid clarified butter). It is used internally and sometimes for external application also. It is known for its actions like enhancing appetite, taste perception, digestion, vision, strength, and lactation. It is used to treat diseases like fever, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal distension, edema and puerperal disorders. Oil of cumin is used in fragrances. As a medicinal plant, cumin has been utilized as an antispasmodic, carminative, sedative, and stimulant. Cumin oil has been reported to have antibacterial activity. Distinct phototoxic effects have been reported from undiluted cumin oil. It is also used in veterinary medicines and perfumes.