110 Spice Profiles
Evidence suggests that the seeds and
fronds of the dill plant were used for
medicinal purposes in Egypt as early
as 3000 bce, and the ancient Greeks
appreciated dill’s digestive and
sedative properties. The seeds were
first used as a seasoning and flavouring
for vinegars and pickles in Scandinavia
and in central and eastern Europe. By
the Middle Ages, dill was a common
culinary herb, and was also used in
witchcraft, love potions, and as an
aphrodisiac. Kosher dill pickles later
became a dietary staple for Jews living
in eastern Europe and in Russia, and
were introduced to the USA by eastern
European Jewish immigrants in the
late 1800s and early 1900s. Dill rapidly
became an important commercial crop
for the pickling industry in the USA,
although today most of that industry’s
seed supply comes from India.Region of cultivation
Dill is native to southern Europe, the Middle
East, and the Caucasus. It is now mainly grown
in India, Pakistan, the USA, and countries
around the southeast Mediterranean.The plant
Dill is a hardy
annual plant in
the parsley
family.Powder
Dill seed is available pre-ground, but don’t
get it confused with “dill weed”, a name the
dried herb is sometimes sold under.Whole
The oval, brown-beige seeds look very
similar to fennel seeds. They have little
aroma until crushed and ground.“Seeds” are the
ripe fruits of the
plant that have
been allowed to
dry on the stalkFern-like
leaves are used
as a herbBOTANICAL NAME
Anethum graveolensALSO KNOWN AS
False aniseed.MAJOR FLAVOUR COMPOUND
D-carvone.PARTS USED
“Seeds” (technically fruits).METHOD OF CULTIVATION
Fruits are harvested after flowering. Seeds
are left to ripen and dry on the stalk.COMMERCIAL PREPARATION
Cut stalks are stacked and left for a week
or so to dry. The fruits are then threshed
from the flower heads by machine.NON-CULINARY USES
In traditional medicine to treat stomach
complaints – it’s a common ingredient
of gripe water – and as a gentle sedative.TURKEY
EGYPT
SOUTHEAST
EUROPE
THE LEVANT
THE CAUCASUS
DILL
Bitter | Citrus | Woody
Spice story
110-111_DillSeed.indd 110 13/07/2018 11:42