The boy was going through the spice box in the pantry this afternoon, and pulled out bag after bag of cumin. This is a spice I will come across in a recipe and assume I don't have, so I grab an extra bag. the result: many, many bags of cumin gathering dust. As I looked at the mounting evidence of my poor pantry management skills, I wondered for the first time what's the use of cumin anyway?
To the Google!
I read through several sites on cumin, and here's what I learned.
Cumin is a spice that is cultivated all over the world, from the Mediterranean to Mexico, with stops in India and China as well. This globe trotting annual herb pokes its earthy nose into recipes from the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. The distinctive flavour produces a warming sensation, which makes this spice ideal for chili, curries or stews. It is used both as a whole seed (fruit, actually. Each seed is an individual fruit) or ground into powder. It belongs to the Apiaceae family of plants (better known for carrots or parsley). It looks similar to caraway, but tastes much hotter and is larger.
I also know I only like it in small amounts, as I am a spice wimp.
Sources: WikiP, Food.com, Penzeys
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