Cumin Seeds

Cumin Seeds are a strong, aromatic spiced used in Mexican, North African, Middle Eastern, India, South Asian, and Mediterranean cuisines.

They have a slightly bitter, warm, fragrant flavor with a bit of a hot kick to it. It is earthy, warming, and comforting. Whole cumin seeds retain their aroma much longer than ground cumin, so it is best to store the cumin whole and grind it fresh when cooking.

Use cumin to season meats and breads, flavor cheeses, and spice curries. It is often a component in spice blends like chili powders, garam masala, curry powders and various blends of middle eastern spices, meat rubs, and dhana jeera. It is found frequently in Moroccan dishes, especially in the simple street foods of the medinas. Cumin can add flavor and spice to simple rice dishes.

Cumin is a part of the parsley family along with caraway and dill, and its seeds resemble caraway seeds: long yellow-brown oblong seeds with longitudinal ridges.

For a gourmet taste, add dried cumin seeds to flavorful burning woods when smoking meats like lamb and beef, or cheeses like munster and cheddar.

Though similar to the milder coriander, cumin can be quite potent and should be used with restraint to avoid over seasoning a dish.