Caraway
Carum carvi
Description
Meadow cumin, or German cumin, is a hardy biennial herbaceous plant, totally glabrous, which in its first year grows to about twenty centimetres, while in its second year it exceeds half a metre.
Stem
The deeply striated stem of caraway, is branched even in its lower part.
Leaves
The leaves of meadow cumin are oblong, elegant, bipinnate and glabrous.
Flowers
A large globular inflorescence, which appears in midsummer, gathers the small white flowers, which are inconspicuous.
Fruits
In autumn the small glossy berries, botanically called drupes, ripen, blackish-violet in colour, slightly acid in taste, gathered in bunches, and very rich in vitamin C. It is a common plant in uncultivated places near the sea as well as in the mountains, where it grows abundantly in the beech zone, the chestnut and the oak.
Exposure
The preferred exposure of this herbaceous plant is full sun.
Propagation
Caraway is propagated by sowing, which can be done in spring in a seedbed, or in summer directly in its final position.
Growth
When the seedlings are about 5 centimetres tall it is time to thin them out, leaving at least twenty centimetres or so of free space around the strongest ones.
Harvesting
The aromatic seeds are harvested in the summer of the second year of cultivation: in July and August the umbels are cut when the fruits begin to ripen, that is, when they take on a brownish hue.
Storage
After being left to dry in the sun, the flowering umbels should be beaten with a cane to help the seeds come away.
Properties
IN THE KITCHEN: By steeping about fifty grams of caraway seeds for two weeks in a litre of good-quality eau-de-vie, then filtering it all and adding about 300 grams of sugar, the fragrant liqueur called Kummel is obtained. Grinding the seeds gives a flavouring that goes very well with strong cheeses such as the Italian "gorgonzola" or the French "munster". In northern Europe caraway seeds are mixed with flour to flavour bread and focacce.
Health
Meadow cumin is an effective stimulant with excellent aperitive and digestive properties, it combats loss of appetite and relieves flatulence, in essence it has the same properties as aniseed and fennel seeds. A decoction is usually made by putting about twenty grams of caraway in half a litre of water.