The seed of a small annual in the carrot family. Cumin is warm, earthy and slightly bitter, and is essential in Indian, Middle Eastern, North African and Mexican cooking.
What it is¶
Cumin is the dried fruit of Cuminum cyminum, a slender annual herb about 30–50 cm tall with feathery leaves and small white or pink flowers in umbels, like its relatives coriander, fennel, caraway and dill. Each "seed" is actually half of a split fruit: elongated, 4–6 mm long, ridged and greyish-brown, often with a tiny stalk.
Two other spices share the name and cause confusion:
- Black cumin or kala jeera / shahi jeera (Bunium persicum): a smaller, darker, sweeter seed from Central Asia and Kashmir, used in Mughlai and Kashmiri cooking.
- Nigella, sometimes sold as "black cumin" or "black seed", is a different plant altogether.
Origins and history¶
Cumin is one of the oldest known spices. It was used in ancient Egypt, and seeds have been found at sites in Syria dating from the second millennium BC. The Greeks kept it on the table as we keep black pepper, and the Romans used it heavily; it appears throughout the Roman recipe collection attributed to Apicius. The Bible mentions cumin being threshed (Isaiah) and tithed (Matthew). See spices in the ancient world.
It was popular in medieval Europe, then gradually dropped out of most northern European cooking, surviving in a few specialities such as Dutch Leyden cheese and German and Alsatian breads. The Spanish and Portuguese carried it to the Americas, where it became central to Mexican and later Tex-Mex cooking. India is today by far the largest producer and consumer, with Gujarat and Rajasthan at the heart of the crop.
Flavour and aroma¶
Cumin's dominant aroma compound is cuminaldehyde, which gives its warm, earthy, slightly musky smell. Raw ground cumin can taste dusty and bitter; heat transforms it. Dry-toasting brings out nutty, toasty, almost smoky notes, and frying the whole seeds in fat until they darken and crackle gives the rich, rounded flavour of Indian jeera dishes. Too much, or cumin that has burnt, is harsh and bitter.
In the kitchen¶
Cumin is used either whole, usually fried in fat, or ground, usually after toasting.
- Tempering (tadka): heat 1–2 tbsp oil or ghee, add 1 tsp cumin seeds and fry for 20–40 seconds until they darken a shade and smell nutty, then add onions or pour over dal. See tempering spices.
- Jeera rice: fry 1 tsp cumin seeds in butter or ghee, add 300 g rinsed basmati and 450 ml water, cover and cook for 12 minutes.
- Toasted and ground: toast whole seeds in a dry pan for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and a shade darker, cool and grind. Roasted ground cumin (bhuna jeera) is sprinkled over raita, chaat and salads; see chaat masala.
- Blends: central to garam masala, curry powder, panch phoron, baharat, ras el hanout, dukkah, berbere, chili powder and hawaij.
- Middle East and North Africa: falafel, hummus, merguez, harira and Moroccan cumin salt served with eggs and grilled meat.
- Mexico and the American south-west: chilli con carne, fajitas, refried beans and adobos.
⚠️ Watch the pan
Whole cumin seeds go from perfectly toasted to burnt in a few seconds. The moment they darken and start to crackle, add the next ingredient or tip them out of the pan.
A common mistake is using too much. Cumin is assertive; 1–2 tsp is enough for most dishes for four.
Buying and storing¶
Whole seeds keep for two to three years in an airtight jar away from light and heat; ground cumin fades within about six months. Toast and grind in small batches. Good cumin is greenish-grey to brown, uniform and strongly aromatic when rubbed. Ground cumin has been a target for adulteration with cheaper ground seeds and fillers, so buy from a reliable source. See storing spices and spice adulteration.
Substitutes¶
- Caraway: its closest relative in flavour, a little sweeter and more aniseed; use about three-quarters as much.
- Ground coriander seed with a pinch of chilli flakes or smoked paprika in Mexican dishes.
- Chili powder, which usually contains cumin, in Tex-Mex cooking.
- Garam masala or curry powder at a pinch in Indian dishes, though both change the balance.
Pairs well with¶
Lamb, beef, chicken, lentils, chickpeas, beans, carrots, cauliflower, aubergine, potatoes, yoghurt and cheese; coriander seed, chilli, turmeric, garlic, ginger, paprika, oregano, coriander leaf, mint and lime.