Organic Cumin Seed

Description

Cumin, pronounced "khu-min", Cuminum cyminum, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. Other members of this family include anise, caraway, coriander, dill and fennel. In India, it is known as jeera. Cumin is extensively used in cuisines around the world, particularly in Southern Asia, Northern Africa and Latin America.

Cumin is native to China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, the eastern Mediterranean, Syria and Turkey. Today, cumin is also grown in Argentina, Iran and Mexico. Cumin seeds are oval shaped and elongated with a ridged surface. They are greenish yellow, grayish or light brown in color, and when ground, cumin is brownish yellow to dark brown in color.

When cumin is dry roasted it unleashes a more intense aroma. In Southern India, it is often roasted in ghee or oil.

A Rise in Popularity

Cumin has only recently begun to be recognized as a popular spice in this country, but worldwide, it is one of the most consumed spices - right behind chiles and pepper. It is associated mostly with Indian, Mexican, and Vietnamese foods, but the ancient Greeks kept a dish of it on the dinner table, a practice which continues today in Morocco.

History and Cultivation

Like many spices, cumin has a rich history and was mentioned in the Bible, not only as a seasoning for bread and soup, but also as a currency used to pay tithes to priests. Ancient Egyptians not only used cumin as a culinary spice, but also to mummify pharaohs.

As one of the most common plants found growing in Medieval monasteries, the health benefits of cumin were documented by Ancient Greek and Egyptian physicians.

During the Middle Ages spices were not commonly used, but cumin was one of the few exceptions. Cumin was believed to promote love and fidelity and people kept a small amount in their pockets and took it to weddings as lore had it that it kept lovers from wandering. Married soldiers were sent to war with a fresh baked loaf of cumin bread.

Cumin is a drought-resistant, tropical, or subtropical crop that prefers dry warm climates. It grows best in temperature ranges between 77° to 86°F and depending on the variety has a growing season of 100 – 120 days. Optimum cultivation conditions are a long, hot summer that last 3-4 months. The plant produces small white or pink flowers that grow in clusters on short stems, looking like small umbrellas.

Cumin seeds are harvested about 4 months after planting, when the plant starts to wilt and the seeds’ color changes from dark green to a brownish yellow. The seeds are harvested by removing the whole plant from the ground. The plant is then laid in thin piles to dry in the full or partial sun.

Once the initial drying process is complete, the cumin seeds are separated from the plant by threshing (beating) the plant with sticks. The seeds are then removed and further dried to 10% moisture content, either by placing on mats or trays in the sun or in more humid conditions by using a commercial drier. Dried cumin seeds are winnowed using a traditional winnowing basket that removes the dirt, dust, leaves and twigs.

India has historically produced approximately 70% of worlds total cumin output followed by Syria (15%) and Turkey (5%). But, since the ongoing conflict in the Middle East started in the early 2000’s, Syria and Turkey are now only producing about 10% of the world's total. India has filled the void.

Our Organic Cumin Seeds are cultivated in India.

Cumin, Caraway, Black Cumin and Nigella - Oh My!

Due to its appearance cumin is often confused with the similar looking caraway seed, but despite their close resemblance the flavor profiles are very different. Caraway seed is more bitter and has a biting, warm sweet flavor that brings to mind anise and dill while the aroma is reminiscent of dill.  

Black cumin, Cuminum nigrum, also known as Kala Jeera, is a popular spice in North Indian, Iranian and Pakistani cuisine and is a smaller variety of cumin with a different flavor profile. Nigella, Nigella Sativa, is sometimes incorrectly referred to as “black cumin”, “black caraway” or "onion seeds" but is not technically any of these.

Flavor Profile

Cumin's very distinctive flavor possesses an earthy, nutty, spicy taste with somewhat bitter undertones and a warm, penetrating aroma with hints of lemon.

We recommend that cumin be used sparingly, as it is quite potent.

Is Cumin Spicy?

We often get the question "Is cumin spicy?" The answer is - yes it's spicy, but it doesn't have the same kind of spicy heat that chiles or even black pepper possess.

In our home spice cabinets, we prefer to use the whole Cumin Seed so that we can freshly grind it in smaller quantities as needed for maximum flavor. Cumin is one of the spices that has a high volatile oil content (2.5% to 4%) and once ground, the flavor starts to dissipate fairly quickly. At our facility we grind cumin seeds into a powder several times a week for maximum flavor.

When and Where to Use It

For cooks in the Far East, Latin America, Mexico, the Middle East and North Africa, cumin has long been a signature spice and is a key ingredient in various spice blends and many bean, couscous, curries, rice and vegetable dishes.

Cumin flourishes when used with beans, bread, cabbage, pungent cheeses, chicken, eggplant, lamb, lentils, onions, potatoes, rice, sauerkraut and squash.

Cumin works well in combination with allspice, anise seed, brown mustard, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, paprika, turmeric and yellow mustard.

Some of our favorite recipes with Ground Cumin are Tortilla Soup, Sweet Chickpea Chili in Slow Cooker, Arroz Con Pollo and Cumin Seasoned Grilled Zucchini.

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