Caraway

PURPOSE

WHAT IS IT?

Caraway is not a seed. It’s a fruit! So, if it took you a bit to find it in the Spicedex™, we apologize. It is the crunchy aromatic In German, and Jewish, baking, that iconic crunch in a “deli rye” bread, or atop a rye bagel.  It’s the nice bite in a shot of Aquavit.

EXPERIENCE

Raw, they have a pungent, anise-like flavor, and aroma, derived from the three key essential oils: Carvone, limonene, and anethole.

Toasted, caraway is a flavorful addition to baking, and salads.  The earthy fennel-anise-esque taste remains mild, until the seed is cooked, or dry roasted. When toasted the pungency erodes, and a warmer, mellow, lightly anise flavor, with a really pleasant crunch, kick in.

Some people’s brains interpret their essential oils as bitter, or camphorous.

CULINARY GEOGRAPHY

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Native to Asia Minor, Europe, and North Africa.  Scandinavia, Holland, Germany, and Eastern Europe all became destinations for caraway seed imports. Today, the world’s largest exporter is the United States, followed by the United Kingdom. 

TRADITIONAL USES

• Surati Jeera (Indian caraway breads);
• Delicatessen (Jewish) rye bread;
• Viennese goulash;
• Liqueurs like Iceland’s Aquavit or Germany’s Kummel;
• Added to cheeses like gouda, tilsit, havarti and nikkolest.

A FEW IMPROVISATIONAL RIFFS:

• Caraway and beet bread twists;
• Salad with fennel, hearts of palm, red onion, grapefruit and toasted caraway seed;
• Part of the Rye Pie crust for my pastrami meat pies;
• Pastrami Sundae – Scoops of mashed potato with chopped pastrami, onion, caraway;
• Taiwanese Peanut Rice – My Taiwanese spice blend with aged soy, peanut flour, and roasted caraway seed.

THE BACKSTORY

In Sanskit, the seed was called karavi, based on its origins in Karia (Carum – Latin), in what was Asia Minor. As the seed was carried, and traded, northward, into Europe, the name became “caraway” probably because of the Arabic derivation of its name, al-karawya. 

English usage of caraway seed began in 1440 ACE. Use of the seed actually dates back to about 2179 BCE, or longer. Romans moved trade of the seeds into Europe. It became a popular spice for peasant foods throughout Europe.

AKA

• Meridian fennel
• krishna jiraka
• Perisan cumin
• alcaravea
• biji jintan
• caraway
• carawe
• carum
• carvi
• chimion
• comí
• cominho
• cumino
• cuminu
• karafræ
• karamele
• karawia
• karayim
• karnua
• karvefrø
• karvio
• karwei
• karwie
• karwij
• kima
• kmín
• kminek
• kmynų
• köménymag
• köömne
• kuminan
• kumino
• kümmel
• kumminfrö
• rasca
• sēklas
• tohumu
• tohumy
• tovê kerî
• toxumu
• urug’i
• żerriegħa tal-ħlewwa
• σπόρος κύμινο
• зирак
• зире үрөнү
• карабодай орлыгы
• ким
• кимино семе
• кимион
• кмен
• кмин
• қарақұйрық тұқымы
• луувангийн
• тмина
• კრავის თესლი
• խեցգետնի սերմ
• זרע קימל
• קימל זוימען
• بذور كراويا
• دانه زیره
• كارۋان ئۇرۇقى
• کاراوے کا بیج
• گاهه جو ٻج
• የካሮዋ ዘር
• कॅरवे बियाणे
• जीरा बीज
• কেওড়া বীজ
• કારાવા બીજ
• କାରୱେ ବିହନ |
• காரவே விதை
• కారవే విత్తనం
• ಕ್ಯಾರೆವೇ ಬೀಜ
• കാരവേ വിത്ത്
• කැරවායි බීජ
• เมล็ดยี่หร่า
• စမုန်နက်မျိုးစေ့
• 캐러 웨이 씨앗
• キャラウェイシード
• 香菜种子

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