Caraway 281
Caraway is grown widely in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary
and Romania for seed purposes and is reported to have been used as a condiment for
flavouring and food preparation in Europe and Middle East in ancient times. The
main processed products of caraway are whole seed, essential oil, oleoresin, powder,
and a few others. They are used in the food industry, cosmetics, beverage and
pharmaceutical industries primarily for flavouring and medicinal purposes (Malhotra,
2006a). The main processed products from caraway seeds and their uses in the food
processing industry are described below.
15.4.1 Whole seed
The caraway seed has a characteristic distinct warm, slightly sweet, very sharp somewhat
acrid but pleasant aroma. Caraway seed is processed for drying, cleaning, grading and
is mostly traded in this form in the international market. Due to its inherent preserving
qualities it is known to possess good storage life similar to pepper. Caraway seed is
widely used as a spice for seasoning, at both the household and commercial levels.
Use at household level
In middle Europe caraway is used as a common spice, the Germans use caraway seed
in many of their baked breads, piecrusts, sauces and their famous sauerbraten, whereas
the Austrians like it in stews. Italians boil hot chestnuts with caraway seed before
roasting them. Caraway masks the smell of heavy foods like spare ribs, roast goose,
pork, mutton, oxtail stew or other hearty meat dishes, and adds an interesting sweetness
to apples, pound cake and cheeses. Caraway seed is used in canapés, onion bread,
cheese spreads, omelettes, coleslaw, cooked pastas, rye bread, soups, salad dressings,
sauces, rice, boiled seafoods, cabbage and potato, soups, sauerkraut, cucumber salad,
poultry dressings, stews, homemade sausage and vegetables such as beets, carrots,
cabbage, cucumbers, onions, turnips, green beans, potatoes, cauliflower, and zucchini
(Farrell, 1999).
Use at commercial level
Caraway seed is mostly used in bakery products and alcoholic beverages for adding
taste and aroma. In the bakery industry, caraway seed is not only mixed into white
and rye bread but is also sprinkled on the dough before baking for better dispersed
aroma and for enhancing the taste impression (Daffershofer, 1980).
O(+) Carvone (+) Limonene
Fig. 15.1 The major compounds of caraway essential oil.