Cumin
Cuminum cyminum · Spice
Top 10 pairings
A warm, earthy, faintly bitter spice of slender, ridged brown seeds, central to Indian, Middle Eastern, North African and Latin American cooking. In a hot dry pan, its sweaty, resinous smell turns nutty.
Picking a good onedrag
Just milled, loud and oilyFaded, dusty, smells of nothing
Whole in the jarEveryday bestWhole seed keeps a year or more in a dark jar. Dry-toast before grinding for nuttiness.
Crush and smellWarm and earthy, green edge quiet
Whole or groundWhole in a shut jar, still loud
Look at the seedsUneven colour, stalk bits, dust
Press and rubBreaks clean, scent fainter