Spices That Cure- Cumin...

The little cumin was born in Western Asia, a couple of thousand years ago. It belongs to the coriander family.It has found mention in Biblical works, Isaiah xxvii. 25 and 27, and Matthew xxiii. 23, and in the works of Hippocrates and Dioscorides. It finds mention in the list of medicinal plants that were in use in Egypt in 1550 BC. The ancient Egyptians used it both to flavor their meats and to mummify their dead. Pliny has also mentioned the qualities of the cumin in his writings and he has called it the best of condiments. So we can gather it was cultivated not only in West Asia but also the Eastern and Southern European areas, specially the warm temperate climate zones. Today it is cultivated across India, Iran, Indonesia, China and the South Mediterranean. Cumin is frequently used in Mexican dishes such as chili con carne and hot tamales.

The word Cumin in English is derived from the Latin cuminum, which itself was derived from Greek kyminon. An interesting fact is that in most North European cuisines, cumin is not given any place at alone, let alone a place of humor thought it adds life to the flavor of meats and even vegetables. It was long considered some form of twisted relative of the caraway seed and this can be traced to the different names it has got in different languages. Countries that use caraway consider it a foreign form of cumin and the countries that prefer cumin call a foreign form of caraway. In every cuisine, thus, it is a foreigner, mostly considered to be of exotic origins, and this name is affixed to it in most languages-- Roman caraway, Eastern caraway, Egyptian caraway, and Turkish caraway to name a few. It is not a very regular part of Italian cuisine yet the rest of Europe insists it is Roman caraway. In fact Charlemange was responsible for making it known in Northern Europe, whatever little, because of his herb edicts..so in these areas cumin is viewed as an Italian (Or Mediterranean )type of caraway seed. Talk of mistaken identities!!!.

But in medieval Europe, a lot of myths were attached to the cumin seed, the most important being that it would stop cattle from wondering away...and by some stretch of imagination, prevent a spouse from wandering too. This was the reason why Germans carried dill, cumin and salt in there pockets during wedding ceremonies. Among ancients Greeks, the cumin symbolized cupidity.

It was also used in native medicine in Southern European cultures, Indian as well as Chinese traditional medicine. However, it's most common use today is as a flavoring in cuisine, an essential part of curry powder and it is now imported from Indian cities like Mumbai and Calcutta, Morocco, Sicily and even Malta (where it is called Hot Cumin because they call anise sweet cumin).

The seed itself is largely used in centenary medicine. The main composition is a mixture of cymol or cymene and cuminic aldehyde. The seed is useful as a stimulant, especially digestive stimulant and when eaten with yogurt, helps clear the system of accumulated waste materials. Its carminative qualities are traditionally considered superior to that of fennel or anise. However, it does not have a very agreeable taste, unlike fennel, so is now used mostly as a carminative in animal medicine.

In traditional Eastern medicine systems, cumin seeds are used extensively to stop morning sickness, jaundice, nausea, vomiting, colic. It can cure diarrhea and dysentery, in addition to being a calming food, to induce sleep. Scientists in Israel and India are also studying its anti-carcinogenic properties, it has been fund, in some cases, to block the growth of a cancerous chromosome by up to 83%.

In addition to all these, it is a powerful anti-bacterial and a cumin decoction protects against hookworm infections too.

An old wives tale is that cumin seeds mixed with milk and honey, taken once daily during pregnancy eases childbirth, helps in development of the baby and even increases lactation. In traditional medicine, it has also found great favor as a corrective for flatulence and indigestion. It is supposed to increase lactation and reduce nausea in pregnancy.

It enjoys wide culinary uses, In addition to being an inseparable part of the Indian curry masala, it is also used as a part of the marinade for meats in Eastern, Middle Eastern Mexican, Portuguese and Spanish cuisine. It finds a lot of use in stews, especially of lamb and chicken dishes. Since it has a very strong and sharp taste, it can be used to flavor steamed rice, toss aubergines, beans and cakes. In some things like Portuguese sausages it is an essential spice but in Central Europe it is mostly used to spice cheese. It is used as a pickling ingredient in cabbage and sauerkraut. In the Middle East it is used in fish dishes, grills and stews. Cumin together with caraway flavors Kummel, the famous German liqueur.