Cumin seeds are yellowish brown in color and are similar to caraway seeds but a little longer. They have a peppery astringent flavor with slight citrus overtones due to the presence of a volatile oil. Cumin is commercially sold as both seeds and powder. As any other spice, whole cumin seeds retain more aroma than powdered cumin.

Cumin seeds grow on a small annual herb of the parsley family called cuminum cyminum. Cumin plant is a delicate annual with slender branches. The main cumin producing countries today are India, Iran, Morocco, Turkey, Indonesia, China and the South Mediterranean.

Cumin is one of the most typical spices used in Indian cuisine, an important ingredient in several spice mixtures. Similar spice mixtures are also much in use among the descendants of Indian immigrants in Malaysia or Singapore. When the cumin seeds are used whole, they are often fried in oil or dry-roasted before usage. The aroma of the cumin seeds, like most spices, emerges best when dry roasted or added to hot oil.

Cumin is a popular spice used in Latin American, Mexican, North African and most Asian cuisines. In the cuisines of Western to Central Asia cumin is an important ingredient in spice mixtures - Yemeni zhoug, Saudi-Arabian baharat, and North African tagines- all use cumin. In South Eastern and Eastern Asia, cumin is less valued but used occasionally. In Central and South American cuisines cumin plays an important role. The popularity of Mexican dishes such as chili con carne, especially in the southwestern United States, has made cumin an important spice in the United States. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, it was much in use as a culinary spice in the west. Today, cumin usage in Europe is restricted to flavoring cheese in the Netherlands and in France. It was used in England since the thirteenth century. In Italian cuisine, cumin has little use. However, it is referred to as Roman caraway in many European languages.

Cumin is believed to be a native of Egypt and Eastern Mediterranean regions, where it has been cultivated since Biblical times. According to Pliny, the ancients took ground cumin seeds medicinally with bread, water or wine. Spanish explorers spread cumin to the Americas. Cumin was introduced to India early on - by 300 BC. The common Indian name for cumin – jeera or jeeraka is derived from the Persian word zira.

Cumin seeds are a very good source of iron. In ayurveda, cumin is considered a warming spice, invaluable for digestion. It is also a cleansing spice that helps burn toxins and enhances the appetite.

Some quick and easy ways to incorporate this healthy spice to Western cuisines are – The taste of cumin is a great complement to the hearty flavor of legumes such as lentils, garbanzo beans and black beans. Seasoning with cumin enhances the flavor of brown rice and sautéed vegetables.