Cumin seeds

Chill Powder. Chili powder is a commercial blend of several spices, ie, chili peppers, oregano, cumin seed, onion and gadic powders, aUspice, perhaps cloves, and others. Chili powder is the basic flavor for many highly spiced dishes, among them chili con came, and is used in cocktail sauces and ground meats. 

Cumin Seed. Cumin spice is the dried ripe fmit of Cuminum cyminum L. (UmbeUiferae). The seed-Uke fmit is elongated about 0.31 to 0.63 cm and is yeUowish brown. It is native to upper Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean, but is now cultivated in Pakistan, Turkey, India, China, and Syria. It has a strong pecuhar aroma and flavor, pleasing to some and offensive to others. Cumin seed is used in chutney and curry, chili powders, chili con came, cheeses, and the pickling of cabbage. 

Cumin-dl, n. cumin oil. -samen, m. cumin seed. -sSure, /. cumic acid, cuminic acid. 

AtTabla, the restaurateur Danny Meyer s fusion Indian restaurant on Madison Square Park, the house drinks are inspired by India.You don t find Angostura bitters or Tom Collins mix in these cocktails. You find cinnamon sticks and cumin seeds. 

While the squash is cooking, combine in a blender the remaining V2 cup coconut, the garlic, and the cumin seeds with V2 cup water, or enough to make a pestolike paste. 

Bangladesh, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, the UAE, the UK, the USA and many other countries, and cumin seed powder to the UK, the USA, etc. (Peter, 2000.) Of the 80,000-170,0001 of cumin grown in India each year, only about 10% is exported. Consumption by the rest of the world is between 25,000 and 30,0001. In India, it is cultivated almost exclusively in Rajasthan and Gujarat and is harvested at the beginning of the year, while in Turkey, Syria and Iran it is harvested from May to August. Iran, Turkey and Syria also cultivate cumin mainly for export (Weiss, 2002.) Historically, Iran has been the main supplier of cumin, but today the major sources are India, Syria, Pakistan and Turkey (http //www. theepicentre.com/Spices/cumin.html). 

The essential oil content of cumin seed ranges from 2.3 to 5.0%. Cumin fruits have a distinctive bitter flavour and a strong, warm aroma due to their abundant essential oil content. Of this, 40-65% is cuminaldehyde (4-isopropylbenzaldehyde), the major constituent and important aroma compound, and also the bitterness compound reported in cumin (Hirasa and Takemasa, 1998). The odour is best described as penetrating, irritating, fatty, overpowering, curry-like, heavy, spicy, warm and persistent, even after drying out (Farrell, 1985.) The characteristic flavour of cumin is probably due to dihydrocuminaldehyde and monoterpenes (Weiss, 2002). 

Cumin oil is usually obtained by steam distillation of the milled spice hydrodiffusion gives a higher yield and, more recently, supercritical gaseous extraction is claimed to give oil closer to the aroma and taste of the spice (Eikani et al., 1999). The yields of cumin seed oil with steam distillation are 2.3-3.6%, with liquid carbon dioxide it is 4.5% and with ethanol it is 12%. The major components are cuminaldehyde, cuminyl alcohol, p-mentha and 1.3-dien-7-al, the minimum perceptible levels being at 0.2 ppm. Naik et al. (1989) reported that liquid C02 extraction was quicker than steam distillation for the quantitative extraction of cumin oil without loss of active flavour components, at 58 bar and 20°C. 

Table 11.5. Comparison of chemical compositions of essential oils of fresh and optimally processed cumin seeds.

Cumin seeds are a very good source of iron, an integral component of haemoglobin (see the section on general composition) and also part of enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism. Also, iron is instrumental in keeping the human immune system healthy. Iron is particularly important for women, growing children and adolescents. 

Tyrosinase inhibitors prevent browning in foodbecause they inhibit the oxidation caused by the enzyme tyrosinase. Cuminaldehyde is identified as a potent mushroom tyrosinase monophenol monooxygenase inhibitor from cumin seeds, ft inhibits the oxidation of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) by mushroom tyrosinase with an ID50 of 7.7g/ml (0.05 mM). Its oxidized analogue, cumic acid (p-isopropylbenzoic acid), also inhibits this oxidation with an 1D50 of 43g/ml (0.26mM). These two inhibitors affect mushroom tyrosinase activity in different ways (Kubo and Kinst-Hori, 1998). 

Badr, F.H. and Georgiev, E.V. (1 990) Amino acid composition of cumin seed (Cuminum cyminum L.). Food Chemistry 38(4), 273-278. 

Behera, S., Nagarajan, S. and Jagan Mohan Rao, L. (2004) Microwave heating and conventional roasting of cumin seeds (Cuminum cyminum L.) and effect on chemical composition of volatiles. Food Chemistry 87(1), 25-29. 

Eikani, M.H., Coodarzani, I. and Mirza, M. (1999) Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of cumin seeds. Flavour and Fragrance journal 14(1), 29-31. 

Spices cloves. Optional allspice, aniseed, fennel, cinnamon, and cumin seed. 

Cumin seeds Cayenne pepper Marine lipids ... 

Food Type Nuts and Seeds Most Alkaline Pumpkin seeds Moderately Alkaline Slightly Alkaline Almonds (raw, un sal ted) Caraway seeds Cumin seeds Fennel seeds Sesame seeds Slightly Acidic Brazil nuts Hazelnuts Pecans Flaxseeds Sunflower seeds Moderately Acidic Walnuts Most Acidic Cashews Peanuts Pistachios... 

The powdered seeds are made into a paste for drawing boils and, with or without cumin seeds and palm sugar, are prescribed for chroiuc diarrhoea and dysenteiy. The seed coat, too, is astringent, and is also specified for the latter disorders. An infusion of the roots is believed to have curative value in chest complaints and is an ingredient in prescriptions for leprosy (S). 

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