Cumin

Cumin seeds are sometimes confused with caraway seeds, since their appearances are so similar. Don’t make this mistake, though – the flavours are totally different. Cumin has a warm, earthy flavour and is used extensively in Indian curries, Middle Eastern dishes and tex-mex food like chili. The ancient Greeks and Romans used it on the table the way we use pepper, but these days it’s probably under-used in western cuisine. Cumin seeds are often dry roasted before grinding, or fried in oil to release their flavour if they are being used whole.