Ground cumin seed, more than just a spice for curry dishes

Ground cumin seed is a spice that deserves a lot more attention than it gets so far. We know cumin mainly from the cheese and as part of curry and cajun herbs. But even on its own, the healthy seed gives a surprising aroma to a wide variety of dishes. The spice is also known as 'djinten' or 'djintan' in The Netherlands. The names are derived from the Indonesian name for the spice. At Natural Spices you can buy ground cumin seed online in a package of 400 grams, 1 kilo, 5 kilos or 25 kilos. As the ground spice is somewhat sensitive to external influences, you should keep it airtight in a cool and dark place after purchase. This is the best way to maintain the quality of the herb in order to give your dishes a warm, spicy character.

Using ground cumin seed in your kitchen

Ground cumin seed can therefore do more than just flavour curry dishes. In the Netherlands, we know the spice of cumin cheese and we often add it to sauerkraut. Ground cumin seed also does well in Mexican dishes and adds a little extra to dishes intended for the grill or barbecue. Couscous and lamb are also very well suited for combining with this spice. By the way, ground cumin seed is often confused with caraway seed. Cumin, however, is less sharp and a little bitter than caraway. Ground cumin seed is also very different from turmeric, which is extracted from the roots of an entirely different plant. However, the two are similar in terms of medicinal benefits and both are known to help with losing weight.

Where does ground cumin seed come from?

Ground cumin seed comes from the cumin plant, which is native to Iran, Syria, India and Turkey. The cumin powder that you can buy online at Natural Spices comes from Turkey. The leaves of the plant are somewhat similar to those of fennel and the seeds have a light nut-pepper flavour, which can also be compared to aniseed. The cumin plant belongs to the same family as dill, coriander and chervil. Just like these herbs, ground cumin seed has a strong, spicy and at the same time slightly bitter scent and taste.