Cuminum cyminum

cumin

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Cuminum cyminum L. (Apiaceae); komyn (Afrikaans); zi ran qin (Chinese); cumin (French); Mutterkümmel, Römischer Kümmel, Kreuzkümmel (German); jeera, zira (Hindi); jinten (Indonesian); comino (Italian); jintan putih (Malay); cominho (Portuguese); comino (Spanish); yee raa (Thai)

DESCRIPTION The small dry fruits (often referred to as “seeds”) are narrowly oblong, about 5 mm (less than ¼ in.) long and greenish or greyish-brown in colour. Cumin (jeera) should not be confused with shah jeera (“black cumin”), a similar and related spice from Pakistan and India with slightly larger and often somewhat curved fruits. To add to the confusion, the name “black cumin” is often used for the angular black seeds of Nigella sativa (Ranunculaceae), also known as fitches, black seed, kalonji (kalanji) or onion seed.1

THE PLANT Cumin is a small, annual herb with thin, non-woody stems, fennel-like leaves and small white or pink flowers arranged in umbels.

ORIGIN Based on historical and archaeological records, cumin is believed to be indigenous to the Mediterranean region and western Asia.1,2 It is one of the oldest of spices, recorded from 5000 BC in Egypt, the Middle East (mentioned in the Bible)2 and widely used in ancient Greece, Rome and medieval Europe to season soups, stews, fish and poultry. An old French culinary term cominée refers to dishes containing cumin.3

CULTIVATION Cumin is propagated by sowing the whole fruits (“seeds”). It has a very long history of cultivation in Egypt, the Middle East, Turkey, Greece and India, which later spread to Morocco, northern Europe, Russia, Central America, China and Japan and other areas.2

HARVESTING Mature fruits are hand-harvested just before they are shed.

CULINARY USES Cumin is responsible for the distinctive spicy flavour and slightly bitter taste of curry powder, of which it is an essential ingredient (along with chilli pepper and turmeric). It is also used in other spice mixtures and chutneys in Pakistan and India. The characteristic taste of a falafel is partly due to cumin. Cumin is an important ingredient of North African lamb stews and couscous as well as northern European soups, sauces, fish and meat dishes, including cold meats. It is widely used in bread-making (e.g. rye bread), cheese-making (e.g. Munster cheese) and confectionery, adding a spicy flavour to biscuits and pastries. Cumin is commonly used in pickling mixtures and is a traditional ingredient of German sauerkraut and kummel liqueur.2

FLAVOUR COMPOUNDS Cumin fruits contain an essential oil rich in cuminaldehyde (also known as 4-isopropylbenzaldehyde). Cuminaldehyde usually represents 40 to 65% of the total volatiles2,4 and is accompanied by smaller amounts of p-mentha-1,3-diene-7-al, p-menth-3-ene-7-al and γ-terpinene.4 The essential oil of Bunium persicum (black zira, shah jeera) contains γ-terpinene as main compound.5

NOTES Black zira (kaala zeera) or shah jeera (Bunium persicum fruits) is an important culinary spice used in roasted spice mixtures and meat dishes in Pakistan and northern India (Kashmir, Punjab and Bengal, including Moghul cookery with its Iranian influence), as well as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Tajikistan and Iran. It is almost unknown outside of these regions.

1. Mabberley, D.J. 2008. Mabberley’s plant-book (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

2. Farrel, K.T. 1999. Spices, condiments and seasonings. Aspen Publishers, Gaithersburg, USA.

3. Larousse. 1999. The concise Larousse gastronomique. Hamlyn, London.

4. Li, R., Jiang, Z.Y. 2004. Chemical composition of the essential oil of Cuminum cyminum L. from China. Flavour and Fragrance Journal 19: 311–314.

5. Azizi, M., Davareenejad, G., Bos, R., Woerdenbag, H.J., Kayser, O. 2009. Essential oil content and constituents of black zira (Bunium persicum [Boiss.] B. Fedtsch.) from Iran during field cultivation (domestication). Journal of Essential Oil Research 21: 78–82.