Monday 3 September 2018

Cumin seeds

Cumin
Cumin seeds
Cumin seeds



Cumin is an herb. Cumin is native to the Middle East and Egypt. It is widely used in Morocco. Seeds were found in Old Kingdom Pyramids. The Romans and the Greeks used it medicinally. In the Bible, cumin is mentioned in Isaiah 28:27 in the Old Testament and Matthew 23:23 in the New Testament.

Cumin is used to flavour curries, soups and stews. Cumin is an ingredient in the Indian, Mexican and Tex-Mex curry powders. To grind cumin seeds into powder dry roast them until lightly brown and grind them in a coffee mill. In powder form it loses its strength if kept for long. It is good to make the powder freshly before each use. For curries, temper them lightly in oil. Dry roasting and frying releases the essential oil in the seeds and enhances the flavour and aroma.

In Morocco cumin is kept at the dining table in its own container much as pepper is kept in other parts of the world. The seeds of the plant are used to make medicine.

Cumin is sometimes confused with caraway. Many European languages do not distinguish clearly between the two. People also confuse with unrelated Nigella sativa seeds because it is sometimes called black cumin.

In home remedy, people take cumin for digestion problems including diarrhoea, colic, bowel spasms, common cold, asthma and gas. Cumin is also used as a diuretic to increase urine flow. It helps to relieve bloating.Cumin oil is used as a fragrance in cosmetics. It has come narcotic effect and has been smoked in a pipe and taken orally. It is addictive.

In clinical trials, cumin has shown positive results in weight reduction.It is also said to help in burning abdominal fat. It is also known to lower blood sugar level.

World Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences the prominent medicinal properties of cumin include anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, anti-carcinogenic/anti-mutagenic, anti-diabetic, immunomodulatory, anti-epileptic, estrogenic/anti-osteoporotic, anti-tussive, anti-aggregatory.

In ancient times in India many of the spices were used for medicinal purposes. Then they incorporated some of them as condiment in their cooking.

Side effects from cumin are: heartburn, belching, liver and kidney damage.

Nutritional value of ground cumin is found here in the USDA Nutrient Database. https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/82425?manu=&fgcd=&ds=


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