Cumin is a commoner. Sitting in the jar, it isn’t much to look at—just kind of brown and drab. It isn’t pleasant to touch—a little too oily. Its flavor won’t send your taste buds into orbit—it’s bitter and stale. And the aroma is akin to musty old pine.
But once it’s out of the jar and into the cooking pot, its transformation is akin to Cinderella’s, as the pungent and bitter smell mellows to a rich, nutty aroma that brings to mind the scent of a Mexican cantina. That’s because while chile gives Mexican food the fire, cumin gives the zest—it is the most popular spice in Mexican cuisine.
Cumin has a flavor unlike any other because it’s loaded with cuminaldehyde, a compound with medicinal qualities that are active as, well, Mexican jumping beans.
Fighting Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease of chronically high levels of blood sugar (glucose). And that flood of extra sugar damages blood vessels throughout the body, increasing the risk for heart disease and stroke (the cause of death in 75 percent of people with diabetes), blindness, and kidney disease. Cumin to the rescue . . .
In a study from India, scientists treated laboratory animals with type 2 diabetes with either cumin or glibenclamide (Diabeta), an antidiabetes drug. They found that both worked equally well to reduce levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, heart-damaging blood fats common in people with diabetes. The animals also had a “significant reduction” in blood sugar, lowered levels of A1C (the amount of glucose attached to red blood cells, a measure of long-term blood sugar levels), and lower levels of damaging fat and inflammation in the cells of the pancreas, the organ that manufacturs insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels.
Cumin “supplementation was found to be more effective than glibenclamide in the treatment of diabetes mellitus,” concluded the researchers in Pharmacological Research.
People with diabetes have a 60 percent higher risk of developing cataracts, a vision-clouding covering on the lens of the eye. In another animal study from India, researchers tested cumin against the eye disease. They found that feeding cumin powder to diabetic rats delayed the progression of cataracts—by preventing changes in the lens caused by high blood sugar. Dietary cumin “was able to delay the diabetes-caused cataract progression and maturation,” said the researchers.
Researchers at India’s National Institute of Nutrition found that cumin (along with cinnamon, black pepper, and green tea) can cut the formation of AGE, or advanced glycation endproducts, by 40 to 90 percent. AGE are toxic cellular time bombs that form when an overdose of glucose warps proteins. “The inhibition of the formation of AGE is believed to play a role in the prevention of diabetic complications,” wrote the researchers in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Will the Real Cumin Please Stand Up?Cumin suffers from a bit of an identity crisis . . .
It’s not caraway. In Europe, its popularity has lost out to caraway seed—but caraway can’t stand in for cumin in dishes such as chili and curry.
It’s not black cumin. Cumin isn’t the same as (nor is it a substitute for) black cumin. Black cumin is English for the Indian spice kolonji. Black cumin seeds are jet black, and are sometimes called imperial cumin (because black cumin is somewhat pricey compared to cumin).
It’s not curcumin. Cumin has no relationship to curcumin, the principal ingredient in the spice turmeric.
Protecting Bones
Eating more soy protein or taking soy supplements is commonly suggested as a way to prevent, delay, or even reverse osteoporosis, the bone-thinning disease that afflicts tens of millions of Americans. That’s because soy is a phytoestrogen, a plant compound that helps keep calcium in bones. Well, now researchers are looking at cumin as a possible bone-protector, because it’s also rich in phytoestrogens.
In a study from India, researchers tested the ability of cumin to stop bone loss in laboratory animals with induced osteoporosis. They found those given the spice had greater bone density than those who didn’t receive cumin. In fact, the spice’s “osteoprotective effect” was comparable to that of the hormone estradiol (Estrace), which was popular for the prevention of osteoporosis before researchers discovered it also increased the risk of heart disease and breast cancer.
The researchers’ remarkable conclusion: “Cumin can help postmenopausal women from losing their bone and seems to be a potential candidate for the development of new herbal approaches for osteoporosis treatment without any serious side effects.”
Combating Cancer
Cumin’s volatile oil and rich content of vitamins C and A make it a potent antioxidant—and a potential cancer-stopper. Animal studies have found that cumin:
• Prevented the formation of colon tumors in rats fed cancer-causing substances.
• Reduced the risk of cervical cancer by 82 percent compared to animals not receiving the spice.
• Significantly decreased the incidence of stomach and liver cancer.
Cumin to the Max
Other conditions that cumin may help control include:
Epilepsy. Researchers in the Middle East found that cumin suppressed convulsions in animals with chemically induced seizures.
Food poisoning. In India, researchers found that cumin was the most effective spice in blocking the action of the bacteria that cause food poisoning.
Tuberculosis. Cumin boosts the infection-fighting power of rifampicin, a antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis.
Cumin may help prevent and/or treat:
Cancer
Diabetes, type 2
Epilepsy
Food poisoning
Osteoporosis
Tuberculosis
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Cumin pairs well with these spices:
Ajowan
Allspice
Basil
Black pepper
Caraway
Chile
Cinnamon
Cocoa
Coriander
Fennel seed
Fenugreek seed
Garlic
Ginger
Mustard
Onion
Oregano
Pumpkin seed
Saffron
Tamarind
Turmeric
and complements recipes featuring:
Black beans
Chile con carne
Curries
Mexican food
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Tex-Mex dishes
Getting to Know Cumin
Like most popular spices, cumin has a world-historical pedigree. Ancient Greeks kept cumin on the dining table in its own box, just as they did with pepper. It was currency for the early Romans, who used it to pay taxes. (If only we could send a jar of cumin seeds to the IRS!)
Other recipes containing cumin:
Adobo
Alamelu’s Salt Substitute
Baharat
Black Pepper Rice with Almonds
By-the-Bay Fisherman’s Chowder
Caribbean Curry Paste
Chaat Masala
Cocoa Rub
Coconut Meatballs with Peanut Sauce
Colombo Powder
Dukkah
Garam Masala
Garbanzo Beans with Mushrooms and Toasted Almonds
Green Pumpkin Seed Sauce
Grilled Lamb Patty Pockets with Cucumber Mint Sauce
Hot Curry Powder
Madras Curry Paste
Madras Curry Powder
Onion and Tomato Chutney
Panch Phoron
Potato Cauliflower Curry
Ras-el-hanout
Sambaar Masala
Spicy Hash Brown Potatoes
Vindaloo Curry Paste
Yucatan Pickled Red Onions
Today cumin is a staple in the kitchens of North Africa, western Asia, India, Greece, Turkey, and, of course, Mexico and Latin America. However, those countries south of the border didn’t use cumin until it was brought to the Americas by merchants from India.
India has appreciated cumin for millennia, for both its aroma and medicinal qualities. Cumin is one of the essential ingredients in curry powder and most curry spice mixes. It is also a key ingredient ingaram masala, the Indian basic spice mix. The whole seeds are used in the spice mixes chaat masala and panch phoron.
Cumin comes from a flowering plant that thrives in hot, arid lands.In Mexico, cumin is used in tacos, enchiladas, and burritos, as well as other popular dishes. It is as essential as chili powder in making Mexican chili (and Texan chili con carne).
In the Caribbean, the seeds are a main ingredient in Colombo powder, a super-hot spice blend.
The Dutch make a cumin-flavored cheese. Cumin bread is a regional French specialty. In Spain, cumin is cleverly combined with cinnamon and saffron to flavor casseroles.
In Morocco it is used in couscous (cracked wheat steamed in spices) and is a main ingredient in ras-el-hanout, the famous Moroccan spice blend. Iranians use it to make pickles.
How to Buy Cumin Americans know cumin
Americans know cumin best as a dark powder that feels somewhat oily to the touch. However, cumin starts out as seeds, which is the way it is sold in Indian markets, where it is referred to as jeera. Indian as well as many Asian cuisines use the seeds whole.
Buying whole seeds is better than buying ground cumin, and both are available in most supermarkets. If you are cooking ethnic dishes, chances are you’ll need a jar of whole seeds. Once the seeds are ground the flavor starts to deteriorate. (If you’ve had a bottle of cumin for a year or more, throw it out. Ground cumin doesn’t retain its quality for more than a few months.)
All-American Chili con CarneWe call this all-American because it combines the best of this country’s chilies, from Texas, Arizona, and (believe it or not) Cincinnati, Ohio, which claims to have more chili parlors than anywhere else in the country. The secret ingredient in Cincinnati chili is the allspice. Make chili at least a few hours ahead and let the aromas meld. Reheat before serving.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2½ pounds extra-lean ground beef or ground turkey
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano or other oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 twenty-eight-ounce can crushed tomatoes, chopped
½ cup red wine vinegar
3 cans red kidney beans
2 or more jalapeños, seeded and diced
½ cup Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
½ cup sour cream (optional)
½ cup diced onions or sliced scallions (optional)
1. In a large heavy-bottom casserole, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and cook until soft but not brown. Stir in the garlic and cook one minute more.
2. Add the ground beef or turkey, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon, until just brown. Combine the chili powder, cumin, oregano, basil, allspice, cocoa, turmeric, salt, and pepper and add to the meat. Blend well and cook one minute.
3. Add the canned tomatoes, red wine vinegar, kidney beans, and jalapeños and stir. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Serve with the optional ingredients on the side.
Makes 8 servings.Cumin seeds should be dry roasted before they’re ground, which will intensify the flavor. For instructions on how to dry roast see Roasting Spices.
Cumin seeds are yellowish-brown and oval shaped and somewhat resemble caraway seeds. If you can’t find the seeds in the supermarket, you can buy them in an Indian market or via the Internet. The“Buyer’s Guide” can help you find a retailer.
In the Kitchen with Cumin
Cumin is one of the most frequently used spices and is found in virtually every cuisine in the world. The reason: its versatility. Though the ground spice is quite pungent, keep in mind that it mellows when cooked.
Use cumin in stews and casseroles and any long-cooking food that requires liquid. It pairs well with other strong spices, especially chili powder. In fact, cumin can come in handy if you find a dish you are making is too strong or “off” the intended aroma. Adding a pinch of cumin will help even out the flavor. Here are some other ways to enjoy cumin:
• Make a glaze for roasted vegetables by combining ½ cup canola oil with ½ cup orange juice and 1 tablespoon of ground cumin. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Use it as a flavoring in cheese sauces.
• Sprinkle it in a cheese omelet.
• Add roasted seeds to marinades.
• Make a spice blend with ½ cumin and ½ chili powder.
• Use cumin to help spice up creamy dips.
• Add toasted seeds to lentils and rice pilaf.
