Cumin introduced:
Cumin is an annual or biennial herb in Umbelliferae, and the whole plant is smooth and hairless except the fruit. Petiole with narrow sheath; Petals pink or white, rectangular, emarginate at the top; Meristem is rectangular with narrow ends; Flowering in April; In May, Cumin's name was transliterated by the ancient Persians east of the Mediterranean.
Cumin is native to Egypt and Ethiopia, cultivated in China and Xinjiang, and also cultivated in the Soviet Union, the Mediterranean, Iran, India and North America. Cumin has strong adaptability, likes cool, heat-resistant, drought-resistant, waterlogging-resistant, cold-resistant, and has no strict requirements on soil. It likes sandy loam with high fertility, deep soil layer, flat terrain and good water permeability and drainage. The propagation mode of cumin is seed propagation.
The origin of cumin is that the ancient Persians east of the Mediterranean called it "zireh". In the 7th century BC, when Persia invaded India, Persian soldiers came to India and Pakistan with the name Cumin, which was called jeera in Hindi. Xinjiang cumin was introduced eastward from Persia to the ancient western regions through the Silk Road.
Therefore, the pronunciation of Cumin is similar to that of ancient Persian in Indian-Pakistani local languages and China-Xinjiang Uyghur. Han people also call this spice "Cumin" according to the pronunciation of Uygur language.
Cumin is recorded in Compendium of Materia Medica: "The main body is full of abdominal distension, reducing breath and promoting digestion." Cumin is sweet, pungent and non-toxic. It has the effects of warming spleen, reducing fire, calming liver, regulating qi, stimulating appetite, dispelling cold and removing dampness, and also has health care functions such as anti-allergy, anti-oxidation, anti-platelet aggregation and lowering blood sugar.
After cumin was introduced to India, India mixed it with a pile of spices to make curry. In summer, cumin and mint are also used to make appetizing and digestive drinks. Cumin is rich in essential oil and has a strong aroma. It is considered to be the second most important spice crop in the world after pepper, and now it has become one of the common condiments.