Cumin Seeds 100 g, 50 g

Cumin Seeds – 100 g ($7.99), 50 g ($4.99)

Benefits:

Botanical Name: Cuminum cyminum
English: Cumin seed. Cumin
Also, known as: komyn, Kamoun, zi ran qin, cumin, Duru, Suduru, Mutterkümmel Römischer Kümmel, Jeera, Zira, Jinten, Jintan putih, Cominho, Comino blanco, Comino, Yee raa, Shveta-jiraka, Ajaaji, Shukla ajaaji, Safed Jeeraa, Safed Jira, Kamun, Cheerakam, Jira, Sadajira, Jirautmi, Jirn, Jiraugi, Jeeru, Jirun, Safed Zoor, Zirah, Zirasafed, Jilakarra, Tella Jilakarra, Dhalajeera, Bilejirege, Dalajira, Sheeragam, Chirakam, Jeerakam, Chitta Jira, Pandhare jire, Jirage, Ajaji, Jiraka, Ajajika, and Jeerakam
Habitat: Mediterranean region and western Asia.
Origin: India
Harvested: Cultivated
Parts Used: Dried ripe seeds

General Information:
Cumin seed consists of ripe fruits of Cuminum cyminum, a glabrous, annual herb, the stem is slender and branched, rarely exceeding 1 foot in height and somewhat angular, flowers very small, white, about 38 mm long stalks in compound umbels with only four to six rays, each of which is only about an inch long. The leaves are divided into long, narrow segments like Fennel, but much smaller and are of deep green color, generally turned back at the ends. The upper leaves are nearly stalked less, but the lower ones have long leaf stalks. Mostly cultivated in the plains, plants pulled out, dried thrashed for collecting mature fruits.

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medicine system, which is based on the curative properties of plants and plant-derived products. A very large number of medicinal herbs of various taxonomic genera are included in many forms in this traditional therapy. In these traditional therapies, cumin is prominently considered as one of the most common herbs.

Cumin (jeera) should not be confused with shah jeera (“black cumin”), a similar and related spice from Pakistan and India with slightly larger and often somewhat curved fruits. It is one of the oldest of spices, recorded from 5000 BC in Egypt, the Middle East and widely used in ancient Greece, Rome, and medieval Europe.

Cumin is responsible for the distinctive spicy flavor and slightly bitter taste of curry powder, of which it is an essential ingredient (along with chili pepper and turmeric). It is also used in other spice mixtures and chutneys in Pakistan and India. The characteristic taste of a falafel is partly due to cumin.

How to use:
We make these suggestions to help you get the best benefit from the herbs that you’re choosing to improve your health. Also we make these ideas and recommendations so that consuming them easier and better fit into your lifestyle by adding them to the food that you already eat.
For the full health benefit, it is best to consume (or use the whole herb in poultices) the whole herb. All of the compounds in the herb act best together, as nature intends. Extracts draw out the most prominent beneficial compounds and may concentrate them. What is not extracted can be helpful in ways that we do not yet understand.

Cut Pieces or Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use cut pieces or powdered herb.
Food Preparation: You can add powdered or pieces of herb (if the pieces you buy are bigger than you like, a coffee or herb grinder will quickly reduce) to any yogurt, smoothie, apple or other sauces, spreads, salads or other foods more familiar to you that don’t use heat. Heat can be damaging to the beneficial compounds in the herb. Other options like oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pasta sauce, soup, cookies and anything else that fits your lifestyle, but minimizing (by adding near the end of cooking) the heat is helpful.
Also, for children, you can mix powdered herb with honey or glycerin to make paste. The thicker the paste, the more potent and herbal in taste. The sweet taste of honey and glycerin will help medicine go down. The resulting liquid is called an electuary.
For seeds in general, but especially small seeds, it’s best to grind these to break the protective hulls a short time before consumption. This makes all the benefits available, rather than some remaining locked inside the hulls that are unbroken by insufficient chewing.
To make adding herbs even easier, you could add a week’s worth of your chosen herb(s) to an amount of, for example, yogurt that you would eat in a week. Mix thoroughly and eat this each day of the week. So you make once /week and just eat each other day.
Hot Infusion: The basic method for dried herbs and flower is, take 2-3 tablespoons of dried herb in a cup or teapot. Pour hot water over it and cover it with lid for 10-30 minutes. The heat from making tea can degrade some of the beneficial compounds in the herb. This method minimizes this effect. For the full health benefit, it is recommended to consume what is left over after making tea.
Decoctions: Decoctions are suitable for roots, barks, large seeds & berries, and other dense material. The simple way to make decoction is, in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of dried herbs to 1 cup of water, Bring the water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes with the pot covered. Squeeze out as much as liquid as possible. Best practice is to drink the liquid and also consume the solid material that remains. Herb pieces can also be used.
Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use powdered herb.
Capsules: HerbsCrafters makes capsules guaranteed to be filled with the pure herb with no filler or any other products. You can also use powdered herb to make your own capsules at home. These capsules are best taken with liquid to aid in digestion and absorption and to ensure it doesn’t stick in your throat.
Poultice: Poultice can be made with an herbal powder and liquid (mostly water) to form a paste which is then applied to the skin. This method is very helpful for skin conditions.
Herbal shot: Powdered herb can be mixed with water, fruit juice or other liquid to make herbal shot.

Tips:
You can sweeten your herbal decoctions with bit of honey, natural fruit juice, stevia leaves powder or licorice root powder.

Precautions:
You should consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using any herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
All information on this website is for educational purpose ONLY.
This information has not been evaluated by Health Canada.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.