The Science of Spice

200 Spice Profiles

Ajwain was valued as a medicinal spice

from ancient times, and was probably

first cultivated in Egypt. The Romans

believed it to be a variety of cumin –

hence the common name “Ethiopian

cumin.” It is believed to have reached

India, where it became popular, via the

spice caravans at around the same time

as cumin seed, soon after 750 ce. It was

given a number of misleading names

• “celery seed” and “lovage seed”
  were the most common ones – which
  persist to this day, even though the
  taste is very different. For centuries,
  regions of India practising Ayurvedic
  medicine have been making a cure-all
  tonic “omam water” from ajwain seeds.
  Although the plant is now mainly
  cultivated for its potent essential oil,
  ajwain is one of the defining spices
  of the vegetarian cuisine of the west
  Indian state of Gujarat.

Region of cultivation

Ajwain is probably native to the Middle

East, possibly Egypt. It is now cultivated

mainly in India and Iran, but also in Pakistan,

Afghanistan, and Egypt.

Whole

South Indian seeds have the highest levels

of thymol (up to 98 per cent of the flavour

compound molecules). Whole seeds retain a

strong flavour for a very long time.

Powder

Ground ajwain is available to buy and is less

bitter than whole or fresh ground seeds, but

adds a much weaker flavour to a dish.

Flat heads

of small white

flowers appear,

which later

develop into

tiny “seeds”

IRAN

EGYPT

AFGHANISTAN

PAKISTAN INDIA

AJWAIN

Bitter | Herbaceous | Peppery

Spice story

The plant

Ajwain is a small annual plant in

the parsley family, and is closely

related to caraway and cumin.

BOTANICAL NAME

Trachyspermum ammi

ALSO KNOWN AS

Ajowan, ajave, carom, Ethiopian

cumin, omum, bishop’s weed.

MAJOR FLAVOUR COMPOUND

Thymol.

PARTS USED

Seeds (technically fruits).

METHOD OF CULTIVATION

The stems are cut when the seeds are

ripe, around two months after flowering.

COMMERCIAL PREPARATION

Stems are dried, threshed, and sieved;

seeds are then graded and grouped by size.

NON-CULINARY USES

In perfumes; as an antiseptic agent in

toothpastes; in Ayurvedic medicine to

treat digestive disorders, rheumatism,

arthritis, and fevers.

Oval seeds

are greyish-

green and

resemble those

of caraway

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