Caraway

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Caraway
Carum carvi - Kohler-s Medizinal-Pflanzen-172.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Carum
Species:
C. carvi
Binomial name
Carum carvi
L.

Caraway, also known as meridian fennel and Persian cumin (Carum carvi), is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa. [1] [2]

Contents

Caraway fruits, informally called "seeds" Kummel 2012-07-08-9523.jpg
Caraway fruits, informally called "seeds"
Caraway seeds
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 1,390 kJ (330 kcal)
49.90 g
Sugars 0.64 g
Dietary fiber 38.0 g
Fat
14.59 g
Saturated 0.620 g
Monounsaturated 7.125 g
Polyunsaturated 3.272 g
19.77 g
Vitamins and minerals
Vitamins Quantity
%DV
Vitamin A equiv.
2%
18 μg
Thiamine (B1)
32%
0.383 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
29%
0.379 mg
Niacin (B3)
23%
3.606 mg
Vitamin B6
21%
0.360 mg
Folate (B9)
3%
10 μg
Vitamin C
23%
21.0 mg
Vitamin E
17%
2.5 mg
Vitamin K
0%
0 μg
Minerals Quantity
%DV
Calcium
53%
689 mg
Iron
90%
16.23 mg
Magnesium
61%
258 mg
Phosphorus
45%
568 mg
Potassium
45%
1351 mg
Sodium
1%
17 mg
Zinc
50%
5.5 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water9.87 g

Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, [3] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. [4]

Etymology

The etymology of "caraway" is unclear. Caraway has been called by many names in different regions, with names deriving from the Latin cuminum (cumin), the Greek karon (again, cumin), which was adapted into Latin as carum (now meaning caraway), and the Sanskrit karavi, sometimes translated as "caraway", but other times understood to mean "fennel". [5] English use of the term caraway dates to at least 1440, possibly having Arabic origin. [5] [6]

Description

The plant is similar in appearance to other members of the carrot family, with finely divided, feathery leaves with thread-like divisions, growing on 20–30 cm (8–12 in) stems. The main flower stem is 30–60 cm (12–24 in) tall, with small white or pink flowers in compound umbels composed of 5–16 unequal rays 1–6 cm (0.4–2.4 in) long. Caraway fruits, informally called seeds, are smooth, crescent-shaped, laterally compressed achenes, around 3 mm (18 in) long, with five pale ridges and a distinctive pleasant smell when crushed. [7] It flowers in June and July. [7]

History

Caraway was mentioned by the early Greek botanist Pedanius Dioscorides as a herb and tonic.[ citation needed ] It was later mentioned in the Roman Apicius as an ingredient in recipes. [8] Caraway was known in the Arab world as karawiya, and cultivated in Morocco. [8]

Cultivation

The only species that is cultivated is Carum carvi, its fruits being used in many ways in cooking and in the preparation of medicinal products and liqueurs. [9]

The plant prefers warm, sunny locations and well-drained soil rich in organic matter. [10] In warmer regions, it is planted in the winter as an annual. In temperate climates, it is planted as a summer annual or biennial. [1]

It is widely established as a cultivated plant. The Netherlands, Poland and Germany are the top caraway producers. [11] Finland supplies about 28% (2011) of the world's caraway production from some 1500 farms, the high output occurring possibly from its favorable climate and latitudes, which ensure long summer hours of sunlight. [12]

Nutrition

Caraway seeds are 10% water, 50% carbohydrates, 20% protein, and 15% fat (table). In a 100 grams (3.5 oz) reference amount, caraway seeds are a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of protein, B vitamins (24–33% DV), vitamin C (25% DV), and several dietary minerals, especially iron (125% DV), phosphorus (81% DV), and zinc (58% DV) (table).

Phytochemicals

When ground, caraway seeds yield up to 7.5% of volatile oil, mostly D-carvone, and 15% fixed oil of which the major fatty acids are oleic, linoleic, petroselinic, and palmitic acids. [13]

Phytochemicals identified in caraway seed oil include thymol, o-cymene, γ‑terpinene, trimethylene dichloride, β-pinene, 2-(1-cyclohexenyl), cyclohexanone, β-phellandrene, 3-carene, α-thujene, and linalool. [13]

Uses

The fruits, usually used whole, have a pungent, anise-like flavor and aroma that comes from essential oils, mostly carvone, limonene, and anethole. [14] Caraway is used as a spice in breads, especially rye bread. [15] A common use of caraway is whole as an addition to rye bread – often called seeded rye or Jewish rye bread (see Borodinsky bread). Caraway seeds are often used in Irish soda bread and other baked goods.

Caraway may be used in desserts, liquors, casseroles, and other foods. Its leaves can be added to salads, stews, and soups, and are sometimes consumed as herbs, either raw, dried, or cooked, similar to parsley. The root is consumed as a winter root vegetable in some places, similar to parsnips. [15]

Caraway fruits are found in diverse European cuisines and dishes, for example sauerkraut, and the United Kingdom's caraway seed cake. In Austrian cuisine, it is used to season beef and, in German cuisine, pork. In Hungarian cuisine, it is added to goulash, and in Norwegian cuisine and Swedish cuisine, it is used for making caraway black bread. [15]

Caraway oil is used to for the production of Kümmel liquor in Germany and Russia, Scandinavian akvavit, and Icelandic brennivín. [15] Caraway can be infused in a variety of cheeses, such as havarti and bondost to add flavor. In Latvian cuisine, whole caraway seeds are added to the Jāņi sour milk cheese. In Oxford, where the plant appeared to have become naturalised in a meadow, the seeds were formerly offered on a tray by publicans to people who wished to disguise the odour of their drinker's breath. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apiaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus Apium, and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plants, with more than 3,800 species in about 446 genera, including such well-known, and economically important plants as ajwain, angelica, anise, asafoetida, caraway, carrot, celery, chervil, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, lovage, cow parsley, parsley, parsnip and sea holly, as well as silphium, a plant whose exact identity is unclear and may be extinct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dill</span> Species of flowering plant in the celery family Apiaceae

Dill is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae. It is native to North Africa, Iran, and the Arabian Peninsula; it is grown widely in Eurasia, where its leaves and seeds are used as a herb or spice for flavouring food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parsley</span> Species of flowering plant in the celery family Apiaceae cultivated as an herb

Parsley, or garden parsley is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to Greece, Morocco and the former Yugoslavia. It has been introduced and naturalized in Europe and elsewhere in the world with suitable climates, and is widely cultivated as an herb and a vegetable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sesame</span> Plant cultivated for its edible seeds

Sesame is a plant in the genus Sesamum, also called simsim, benne or gingelly. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods. World production in 2018 was 6 million tonnes, with Sudan, Myanmar, and India as the largest producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fennel</span> Flowering plant species in the carrot family

Fennel is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea coast and on riverbanks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fenugreek</span> Species of flowering plant

Fenugreek is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its leaves and seeds are common ingredients in dishes from the Indian subcontinent, and have been used as a culinary ingredient since ancient times. Its use as a food ingredient in small quantities is safe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coriander</span> Annual herb

Coriander, also known as cilantro, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the parts most traditionally used in cooking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ajwain</span> Species of plant

Ajwain or ajowan —also known as ajowan caraway, వాము ,omam , thymol seeds, bishop's weed, or carom—is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Both the leaves and the seed‑like fruit of the plant are consumed by humans. The name "bishop's weed" also is a common name for other plants. The "seed" is often confused with lovage seed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zucchini</span> Edible summer squash

The zucchini, courgette or baby marrow is a summer squash, a vining herbaceous plant whose fruit are harvested when their immature seeds and epicarp (rind) are still soft and edible. It is closely related, but not identical, to the marrow; its fruit may be called marrow when mature.

Latvian cuisine typically consists of agricultural products, with meat featuring in most main dishes. Fish is commonly consumed due to Latvia's location on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carvone</span> Chemical compound

Carvone is a member of a family of chemicals called terpenoids. Carvone is found naturally in many essential oils, but is most abundant in the oils from seeds of caraway, spearmint, and dill.

<i>Psammogeton involucratus</i> Species of flowering plant

Psammogeton involucratus is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. It is grown extensively in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia. Its aromatic dried fruits, like those of its close relative ajwain, are often used in Bengali cuisine but are rarely used in the rest of India. It is also used as a spice in Bangladesh. The fresh leaves are used as an herb in Thailand and it is used medicinally in Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

<i>Nigella sativa</i> Species of annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae

Nigella sativa is an annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to eastern Europe and western Asia, but naturalized over a much wider area, including parts of Europe, northern Africa and east to Myanmar. It is used as a spice in many cuisines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rye bread</span> Type of bread made with various proportions of flour from rye grain

Rye bread is a type of bread made with various proportions of flour from rye grain. It can be light or dark in color, depending on the type of flour used and the addition of coloring agents, and is typically denser than bread made from wheat flour. Compared to white bread, it is higher in fiber, darker in color, and stronger in flavor. The world's largest exporter of rye bread is Poland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tunisian cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Tunisia

Tunisian cuisine, the cuisine of Tunisia, consists of the cooking traditions, ingredients, recipes and techniques developed in Tunisia since antiquity. It is mainly a blend of Mediterranean and native Berber cuisine with Punic influences. Historically, Tunisian cuisine witnessed influence and exchanges with many cultures and nations like Italians, Andalusians, French and Arabs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freekeh</span> Cereal food made from green durum wheat

Freekeh or farik is a cereal food made from green durum wheat that is roasted and rubbed to create its flavour. It is an ancient dish derived from Levantine and North African cuisines, remaining popular in many countries of the eastern Mediterranean Basin, where durum wheat originated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumin</span> Species of plant with seeds used as a spice

Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to the Irano-Turanian Region. Its seeds – each one contained within a fruit, which is dried – are used in the cuisines of many cultures in both whole and ground form. Although cumin is used in traditional medicine, there is no high-quality evidence that it is safe or effective as a therapeutic agent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spice use in antiquity</span>

The history of spices reach back thousands of years, dating back to the 8th century B.C. Spices are widely known to be developed and discovered in Asian civilizations. Spices have been used in a variety of antique developments for their unique qualities. There were a variety of spices that were used for common purposes across the ancient world. Different spices hold a value that can create a variety of products designed to enhance or suppress certain taste and/or sensations. Spices were also associated with certain rituals to perpetuate a superstition or fulfill a religious obligation, among other things.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moroccan Jewish cuisine</span> Traditional cuisine of the Moroccan Jewish community

The Moroccan Jewish cuisine is the traditional cuisine of the Jewish community of Morocco. combines elements of the local Moroccan cuisine, the culinary traditions brought by Jews from other locations to Morocco, and the Jewish dietary laws (kashrut). Generally, there is some overlap between Jewish and their Muslim neighbors' cuisine in Morocco. The distinction between the two is primarily based on kashrut and finding kosher solutions for traditional dishes.

References

  1. 1 2 "North Carolina State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Carum Carvi". North Carolina State University.
  2. "Caraway". Word Crops Database. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  3. United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  4. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). ISBN   978-0-309-48834-1. PMID   30844154. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Katzer's Spice Pages: Caraway Caraway (Carum carvi L.)
  6. Walter William Skeat, Principles of English Etymology, Volume 2, page 319. 1891 Words of Arabic Origin
  7. 1 2 Tutin TG. 1980. Umbellifers of the British Isles. BSBI Handbook No. 2. ISBN   0-90-115802-X
  8. 1 2 Pickersgill, Barbara (2005). Prance, Ghillean; Nesbitt, Mark (eds.). The Cultural History of Plants. Routledge. p. 157. ISBN   0415927463.
  9. Tomanová, Eliška (1998). Wild Flowers. Prague, Czech Republic: Aventinum Nakladatelství. p. 113. ISBN   978-1-84067-046-2.
  10. "Fragrant and Beautiful Herbs for Your Sunny Garden". The Spruce. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  11. Peter, K.V. (2012). Handbook of herbs and spices Volume 2. p. 229.
  12. "Finland a Global Leader in Caraway Exports". FinnFacts. April 22, 2013. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
  13. 1 2 Peter, K.V., ed. (2012). Handbook of Herbs and Spices, Volume 2. Woodhead Publishing Limited. p. 226. ISBN   978-0-85709-039-3.
  14. María D. López; María J. Jordán; María J. Pascual-Villalobo (2008). "Toxic compounds in essential oils of coriander, caraway and basil active against stored rice pests". Journal of Stored Products Research. 44 (3): 273–278. doi:10.1016/j.jspr.2008.02.005.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs
  16. Mabey R. 1996. Flora Britannica. Sinclair-Stevenson ISBN   1-85-619377-2