Cumin seeds

Small oblong seeds of black color can be found everywhere: in bread, meat or fish products, confectionery. The seeds of the plant are used as a spice to give a special piquancy to the taste and nutrition of the dish.

What are cumin seeds, how useful are they, and how are they related to Ayurveda?

General product characteristics

Cumin belongs to the genus of perennial / biennial plants from the Umbelliferae family. In total there are about 30 types of cumin. The most popular of these is two-year-old cumin (Carum carvi), which is used as a spice. The plant grows in the temperate climate of Asia and Europe, so there are no problems with the supply and market of spices.

Biological Description

The appearance of cumin is more like a weed than a cultivated plant. Its single straight stems have a smooth structure. Hollow stems grow up to 30-80 centimeters in length, some can reach up to 1 meter. The fleshy root of the plant is fusiform, less often cylindrical.

The ovate-lanceolate leaves are formed oblong, 2-3 times dissected by veins. Their length reaches from 6 to 20 centimeters, and their width – from 2 to 10 centimeters. The lobes are sharp and thin-linear. Leaves that are closer to the root develop on long petioles. The upper leaves are located on short petioles, passing into the vagina (the part of the leaf located at the base and expanding in the form of a groove with a tube that completely envelops the stem).

Inflorescences are formed umbellate, located at the ends of the branches and the top of the stem itself. The umbrella has 8-16 rays of various sizes. The total diameter of the inflorescence varies from 4 to 8 centimeters. Miniature flowers are colored white or dusty pink. From them come obovoid petals with a length of 1,5-2 millimeter.

The formed fetus looks like an oblong oblate visorplant. On average, cumin seeds reach 3 millimeters in length and 2,5 millimeters in width. The fruit is painted in a brown shade and, as it ripens, it breaks into two half-curved, sickle-shaped. Half fruits are called mericarpias.

It is interesting: it is very simple to distinguish the fruit of cumin from ordinary weed. It is enough to rub a seed between the fingers. Cumin immediately declares itself a characteristic spicy smell that envelops the air and fingertips.

Habitat and ecology

Wild cumin covers the entire territory of Europe, subtropical India and Pakistan, and temperate Asia. The plant is cultivated everywhere, because it is completely unpretentious in care, but it provides a valuable food resource. Cumin also grows in the Caucasus, in the southern parts of the forest zone of Eastern and Western Siberia. Minimal cumin crops were recorded in the Far East. The plant prefers the edges of sparse forests and upland meadows – it is in such locations that the abundance of Carum carvi is concentrated.

Chemical composition of seeds

Features of the chemical composition

The seeds contain about 3-7% essential oil and 12-22% fatty oil. Also includes:

• coumarins;
• quartzetine;
• kaempferol;
• umbelliferon;
• scopoletin;
• tannins;
• protein (10-23%);
• alcohols and their ethers (linalool, tsimol, pinene).

The chemical composition of the essential oil (vitamin/mineral concentration and properties) varies depending on the stage of vegetation. The constituent of the oil is carvone. It occupies about 50-60% of the composition. Another important component is D-limonene, which takes up to 30%. D-limonene is much more in unripe fruits, as the growth gradually decreases. It also contains carvacrol. The substance is responsible for the specific spicy smell of cumin.

Useful properties of cumin

Due to the B vitamins, caraway seeds contribute to the growth of body tissues and strengthen the muscle corset. Vitamins are also necessary for the quality of the nervous system and stable brain activity. Thanks to nutrients, caraway seeds strengthen the protective functions of the immune system, increase the degree of absorption of food into the blood, have an antioxidant effect and fight internal inflammation.

The composition of the plant includes an important substance – choline. It affects metabolic processes and harmonizes the content of harmful cholesterol in the blood. Due to potassium, the spice improves the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, protects them from age-related changes. Calcium and phosphorus help to strengthen and quickly restore the skeletal system, and iron affects the composition of the blood, stabilizes the process of hematopoiesis, the supply of substances throughout the body.

What else is a vegetable product capable of:

• relieves headaches;
• enhances the effect of medicines in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• strengthens the nervous system and helps to avoid emotional disharmony;
• neutralizes flatulence / colic;
• increases libido, has a beneficial effect on the male reproductive system;
• helps to normalize sleep, get rid of insomnia;
• cleans the body from infections and pathogenic bacteria.

Impact on the digestive system

A spoonful of caraway seeds, added to the dinner soup or evening salad, prevents bloating, flatulence and helps internal organs to assimilate the food received in a high-quality way. Seeds have a beneficial effect on the intestines, soothe them and help improve performance. Spice has an anti-inflammatory effect, contains important antioxidants and natural digestive enzymes. They are responsible for preventing the unpleasant symptoms of overeating or eating junk food. A similar effect provides:

• ginger;
• coriander;
• rosemary;
• black pepper;
• parsley;
• asparagus;
• anise seeds;
• cardamom;
• turmeric;
• spinach.

Alternative to hygiene procedures

The specific spicy aroma of cumin is used not only in gastronomy, but also for personal purposes. For several centuries in India, cumin was not just a spice, but also part of a hygienic ritual. The seeds of the plant were specially chewed to sanitize the oral cavity and kill the offensive odor of decaying tooth enamel. The spice really freshens breath, but it is better to give preference to modern hygienic procedures, and use cumin seeds only for the sake of new flavors in the dish.

Contraindications to the use of spices

The main contraindication to the use of cumin is the individual intolerance of the component. Tart seeds can cause serious allergies – rash, itching, blistering, reddening of the epithelium. Doctors recommend reducing the consumption of cumin or completely abandoning it with increased acidity of the stomach and gastritis. The same recommendations apply to pregnant women as cumin can trigger heartburn.

Important: if pregnant women are recommended to limit the use of cumin, then nursing, on the contrary, are advised to include spice in the diet. Cumin has a beneficial effect on the production and quality of breast milk.

How caraway is associated with ayurveda

Important. Ayurveda is the traditional system of Indian medicine. Ayurveda belongs to one of the forms of alternative, so-called traditional medicine. The teaching is based on the Hindu philosophical system Sankhya and is translated as “knowledge of a long life.”

One of the most important principles of Ayurveda is that health should be maintained not only by preventive medical examinations. You need to influence the functionality of the body every day with the help of a balanced diet, giving up bad habits, feasible physical activity and other attributes of a healthy lifestyle. Only a conscious attitude to all spheres of life, according to Ayurveda, testifies to the absolute health of a person.

Dry herbs and spices occupy an honorable place in the Ayurvedic nutrition system. They turn the trivial process of cooking into an important, full of meaning and fantasy business. Spices are treated with special reverence. They are considered a daily mandatory dose of a strong medicine that gives not only health, but also pleasure (taste).

Ayurvedic seasonings also include:

• caraway;
• cinnamon
• ground ginger;
• paprika, cayenne pepper;
• garam masalu;
• vanilla;
• basil;
• Bay leaf;
• nutmeg;
• peppermint.

It is believed that the sharp flavoring notes of cumin inflame the excitement and thirst of a particular life in a person, and his bitterness clarifies the mind.

Spheres of use of a vegetable component

Cookery

There are more than 30 varieties of cumin, but less than a dozen are used for food. Most often, seeds of traditional brown or black cumin are used. They are added to salads, soups, pastries, main dishes. Also, seeds are needed for pickling tomatoes, cabbage or cucumbers – they provide a special piquant taste to the finished dish.

The taste of the spice combines sweet, bitter, and spicy notes, creating a specific palette that not everyone will like. In Eastern and Asian cuisine, black pepper is replaced with cumin – it has a milder effect on the esophagus and reveals familiar foods from a completely new perspective. Also, the seeds insist to get vodka, kvass, beer and other alcoholic beverages.

It is interesting: not only seeds are eaten, but also leaves, young shoots and caraway essential oil. Also seeds fray in healthy vegetable flour.

Culinary life hacking for cumin use:

1. Before adding the product to the dish, fry the seeds in a dry frying pan. This will help bring out the flavor and start the essential oil extraction process for maximum flavor/aroma.
2. To give the whole dish a spicy taste – grind the spice to a flour state and use it like regular pepper or salt.
3. Cumin will help to cope with the problem of the specific smell of boiled cabbage leaves. Just throw a pinch of seasoning in the pan and get a mild vegetable flavor.

Be sure to store the cumin in a tightly closed container, which is protected from air, UV light and moisture. In such conditions, the spice can be stored for 7 years, without losing its beneficial component composition, flavor and taste.

Medicine

Cumin ordinary is really used as a medicinal raw material. The ether extract from the seeds is used to flavor drugs, as well as soap, perfume compositions and cosmetics. Cumin oil has an antiseptic and antihelminthic effect, which is actively used in pharmacology.

Cumin is officially registered as a medicine in such countries:

• USA;
• Austria;
• Norway;
• Finland;
• Sweden;
• Romania;
• Switzerland;
• Bulgaria.

The substance promotes biliary secretion, improves the activity of digestive glands, prevents the processes of fermentation or rotting inside the body. The herbal ingredient relieves spasms of the smooth muscles of the intestines, which harmonizes the process of digestion. Cumin should be taken for atony, flatulence, kidney problems and urinary tract pathologies. A combination of cumin and other herbal remedies is used to treat hepatitis, heart disease and blood vessels, enhance lactation in women and provide a sedative effect.

Since ancient times, plant seeds have been used in folk medicine in most countries. They are added to medicinal fees, boil teas, infusions, after which they use the broth inside or out. It is believed that this collection improves appetite, has a laxative effect, calms the digestive tract and harmonizes the digestive tract.

Cumin seeds are also used in veterinary medicine. They are given to livestock and pets during colic, flatulence. The plant is additionally sown to clover, which is intended for feeding livestock, so that they receive the necessary vitamins and minerals in the fresh form.

Cumin is a strong toxic poison for birds, but it does not pose such danger to other animals.

Cosmetology

To create skincare cosmetics, only black cumin oil is used, the rest are inferior to it in terms of effectiveness and effect on the skin. Usually it is added to the line for problem skin and specialized pharmacy series for the treatment of skin diseases. The oil has a complex effect, gently removes sebum residues, combats the problem of black spots and starts the process of skin regeneration. Also, the component fights swelling and redness, which can also be used in products for sensitive and aging skin.

Do not apply pure vegetable oil to the skin. The rationality of this approach should be discussed with the dermatologist on the basis of analyzes and diagnostics of the individual characteristics of the epithelium.