Cumin Seeds and Spice!
Cumin has a history over 5000 years old

Cumin Spice

Cumin spice comes in the seed of a small plant with tiny white flowers arranged in small umbrella-shaped clusters. Yet these diminutive seeds pack an extraordinarily hefty punch in terms of their flavor and health benefit.

Cumin has a history over 5000 years old. It is a native of Egypt, and was used during the time of the Pharaohs not only as a food spice but also to mummify the deceased kings. From there it was carried to Greece and Rome, who used it both as a medicine and as a cosmetic to induce a pale complexion. According to a rather humorous anecdote about this particular effect of cumin, students in ancient Greece and Rome would drink large quantities of cumin oil to induce a pallid complexion that was regarded as the mark of a great scholar! Cumin also finds mention in the Bible, as a form of "tithe" or payment given to priests.

Cumin is now grown in Iran, India, Pakistan, China and the Americas. In terms of flavor, it is sharp and pungent, almost bitter, sometimes described as peppery or nutty. It flavors the highly spicy dishes of India, Mexico and Middle Eastern countries. It was also an important spice in Europe during the Middle Ages, and still finds a place in many European foods such as Portuguese sausages, Dutch Leyden cheese and German Sauerkraut, to name a few.

Cumin Health Benefits

Cumin is perhaps the most endowed of all spices in terms of health benefits. It is a good source of iron, required in the body to make hemoglobin in the blood, for the proper functioning of enzymes and for manufacturing proteins. That cumin seeds promote a healthy digestive system has been known since ancient times; recent research also suggests cumin contains substances that protect against cancer.

References:
http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/cumin.html
http://www.mccormick.com/content.cfm?id=8203
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=91
“Growing and Using Herbs and Spices” by Milo Miloradovich

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