otherwise grow into a new plant).
Caraway Caraway comes from the small herb
Carum carvi. There are annual and biennial
forms, the first native to central Europe, the
second to the Eastern Mediterranean and
Middle East. The biennial form develops a
taproot the first summer, then flowers and
fruits the second; the taproots are sometimes
cooked like carrots in northern Europe.
Caraway may have been among the first spice
plants cultivated in Europe; its seeds were
found in ancient Swiss lake dwellings, and
have continued to be an important ingredient
in Eastern Europe. The distinctive flavor of
caraway comes from the terpene D-carvone
(which it shares with dill), with citrusy
limonene the only other major volatile.
Caraway is used in cabbage, potato, and pork
dishes, in breads and cheeses, and in the
Scandinavian alcohol aquavit.