Cumin - seasoning, which came to us from the East.In another way it is called zira. These are the seeds of an umbelliferous plant, a relative of parsley and anise. The homeland of cumin is considered to be Front Asia and North Africa. There, the cumin appeared a very long time ago and was very popular - so much so that its seeds were found in the tombs of Egypt's pharaohs. Archaeologists state that already three thousand years ago people knew the cumin. Its application was not limited to cooking, it was also a medicine.
Even the ancients noticed that cumin can be used with success and externally. A mixture of crushed seeds of cumin with oil has excellent anti-inflammatory properties.
Do not confuse cumin with cumin.These spices are very similar, moreover, are related and belong to the umbrella family. This similarity has already served a bad service to cumin. It was in Arabic cuisine that its cumin was first spread. The seasoning went on its journey through the world from North Africa, Asia Minor and the Maghreb. And from there she got into Spanish, Mexican, Indian and South Asian cuisines. The recipe for cooking dishes flavored with cumin was recorded in these languages. And the translators did not always translate correctly. Cumin was called "Roman caraway" or "fireplace". But on the way to Russia he lost part of the name, and the uncomfortable for the Russian ear kmin transformed into a more familiar cumin.
And meanwhile, these are completely different spices, with differentodor and different spheres of application. And they do not have such a similar flavor, that you can spoil the dish by using cumin instead of cumin. Seasoning, the use of which is possible even in confectionery, has a mild, slightly bitter flavor. It has little to do with the sharp, spicy aniseed smell of cumin.
Cumin is extremely common in Indian andArabic cuisine. It is part of the sauces of chili, curry and many others. Without a cumin, they do not dispense with the preparation of a 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 for cooking sausages, stewing meat and vegetables.
Biologists distinguish 4 species of cumin, but culinary specialistsuse in practice three. White cumin is the most common in Russia. It is often pre-fried, it can be either ground or in the form of whole seeds. Black cumin - smaller, its taste more bitter and harsh. It is most popular in India and Iran.
The third species of cumin, growing in Tajikistan, is called bunium, but in 2011 Rospotrebnadzor put it on the list of dangerous plants containing potent and poisonous substances.
