Caraway is a biennial plant native to Egypt and the Mediterranean countries. In the east, cumin is the most revered spice, which has been valued for many centuries. The spice has a pungent taste, sometimes spicy and slightly bitter, while it is widely used both in cooking and in cosmetology.
Useful spice
The main producers of caraway seeds are the Baltic countries, Belarus, Germany, the Caucasus, Central Asia. As a spice, caraway seeds are used, which are harvested in the second year of the plant's life immediately after flowering. The seeds contain 10% carvone essential oil, which releases its properties when heated and gives the products an aniseed flavor.
Also, the spice is rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, therefore it helps people suffering from digestive problems. The spice contains such useful substances as lipids, minerals, starch, various chemical elements, etc.
The spice should not be added to food for people with high acidity, cholelithiasis and stomach ulcers. Infusions and decoctions of cumin should not be used by people with heart disease. Women during pregnancy can use the spice in small doses. A condiment that increases blood sugar is contraindicated in diabetics. Thus, it is best not to overuse cumin as it can irritate the stomach.
The use of cumin in cooking
Caraway as a spice goes well with all types of meat - beef, pork, poultry, both fried and stewed. Cumin is also added to hamburger meat.
The spice is suitable for making sauces in combination with other seasonings and gives the dish a unique and inimitable taste every time.
In legumes - peas, rice, buckwheat, as well as dairy products - milk, yogurt, cheese, it is quite possible to add cumin to add spice.
Any dishes, the main components of which are cheeses, eggs, vegetables, meat, seafood, you can always add flavor and aroma with the help of spices.
Caraway is a traditional component of rye bread, pickles for pickling tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables, as well as fish. The spice can add aroma to home-made alcoholic beverages: beer, tinctures, liqueurs.
Cumin in medicine
From cumin, you can prepare an infusion according to the following recipe. Take 2 tbsp. l. seeds, pour a glass of boiled water. Then place the broth in a water bath for about 10 minutes. Then cool, strain, dilute with boiled water and take 100 ml before meals 2 times a day.
This tincture is indicated for bronchitis, for the treatment of worms in children, also eliminates intestinal inflammation, gas formation, and improves appetite.
For women during lactation, you can use this tincture, only of a weaker consistency: 2 tsp. for 400 ml of water, take 30 ml with meals 1 time per day.
This spice has anti-inflammatory properties, so, if necessary, apply caraway lotions to the inflamed areas of the body.
