| The origin of cumin |
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Cumin is indigenous to Northern Egypt, Syria, the Mediterranean region, Iran and India. It is also cultivated in Mexico, China, Sicily and Malta. Cumin is a tropical plant and is cultivated as a rabbi crop in areas where atmospheric humidity during February-March is low. |
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| Description |
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Cumin is the dried, white fruit with grayish brown colour of a small slender annual herb. The surface of the fruit has 5 primary ridges, alternatively has 4 less distinct secondary ridges bearing numerous short hairs. The plant is 15 to 50 cm high. The aromatic seed like fruit is elongated, ovoid, 3 to 6 mm long, slightly bitter and has a warm flavour. The flowers are white or rose coloured in small umbels. |
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| Name in international languages |
| Spanish |
: Comino |
| French |
: Cumin |
| German |
: Romischer Kummel |
| Swedish |
: Spiskummin |
| Arabic |
: Kammun |
| Dutch |
: Komijn |
| Italian |
: Comino |
| Portuguese |
: Cominho |
| Russian |
: Kmin |
| Chinese |
: Machin |
| Hindi |
: Jira, Jeera, Zira or Safaid Jeera or Zeera | |
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| Indian names |
| Hindi |
: Jira, Jeera, Zira or Safaid Jeera or Zeera |
| Bengali |
: Safaid Jira or Zeera |
| Gujarati |
: Jiru or Jeeru |
| Kannada |
: Jeeriege |
| Kashmiri |
: Zyur |
| Malayalam |
: Jeerakam |
| Marathi |
: Jeregire |
| Oriya |
: Jira, Jeera |
| Sindhi |
: Zero |
| Sanskrit |
: Jiraka, Jira |
| Tamil |
: Ziragum or Jeeragam |
| Telegu |
: Jidakara, Jikaka | |