Cumin is the seasoning that came to us from the East. In another way it is called zira. These are the seeds of an umbrella plant, a relative of parsley and anise. The homeland of cumin is considered to be Front Asia and North Africa. There, cumin appeared a long time ago and was very popular - so much so that its seeds were found in the tombs of the pharaohs of Egypt. Archaeologists say: already three thousand years ago, people knew cumin. Its use was not limited to cooking, it was also a medicine.
The cumin has many essential oils and gums. Therefore, in ancient Greece and Rome, cumin seasoning was not known as well as cumin medicine. Many mothers know about the healing properties of umbrellas, in particular, fennel - a small spoonful of seed infusion saves babies from colic. Infusion of cumin seeds has a stronger effect - it will help adults to solve delicate problems in the stomach and intestines. Normalizing sleep, correcting vision is also a cumin. Seasoning improves appetite and overall body tone.
Even the ancients noticed that cumin can be successfully applied externally. A mixture of crushed cumin seeds with oil has excellent anti-inflammatory properties.
In no case should you confuse cumin with caraway seeds. These spices are very similar, moreover, they are related and belong to the umbrella family. This similarity has already served the cumin badly. It was in Arabian cuisine that cumin received its initial distribution. Seasoning went on its journey around the world from North Africa, Asia Minor and the Maghreb. And from there she got into Spanish, Mexican, Indian and South Asian cuisines. The recipes for cumin flavored recipes were recorded in these languages. And translators did not always translate correctly. Cumin was called "Roman caraway seeds" or "cumin". But on the way to Russia, he lost a part of the name, and the uncomfortable fireplace for the Russian ear transformed into a more familiar caraway.
Meanwhile, these are completely different spices, with different smells and different fields of application. Moreover, they have such a dissimilar aroma that you can spoil the dish by using cumin instead of cumin. Seasoning, the use of which is possible even in confectionery products, has a soft, slightly bitter aroma. It has little to do with the sharp, spicy aniseed smell of caraway seeds.
Cumin is extremely common in Indian and Arabic cuisine. It is part of the sauces of chili, curry and many others. They can’t do without cumin when cooking pilaf - it gives the dish an amazing aroma. Cumin should be added to the oil at the very beginning of cooking. In Turkey, it is used in the preparation of sausages, stewing meat and vegetables.
In Europe, cumin is very popular mainly in the Mediterranean region. One of the islets near Malta is called Komono, in honor of the cumin, whose fields cover the surface of the islet.
Biologists distinguish 4 types of cumin, but culinary practitioners use three in practice. White cumin is most common in Russia. It is often pre-fried, it can be either ground or in the form of whole seeds. Black cumin is smaller; its taste is more bitter and harsh. It is most popular in India and Iran.
The third type of cumin growing in Tajikistan is called bunium, but in 2011 Rospotrebnadzor included it in the list of hazardous plants containing potent and toxic substances.