Cumin Seeds

Organic and fair trade cumin seeds.

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is one of the main ingredients in curry powder and has a nutty peppery flavour with citrus overtones. Our cumin is fair trade, certified organic and grown in India and imported to Sri Lanka for processing.

The Plant
Belonging to the same plant family as caraway, parsley and dill, cumin is a small flowering plant with slender stems, and thread-like leaflets. Contained within a small fruit are oval yellow-brown seeds. The encased seed is dried and sold in whole or powdered form. Kurundu offers cumin in both whole and ground varieties.

Health Benefits
Cumin is an excellent source of iron, which promotes a healthy immune system and is a main part of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body, keeps energy production and metabolism working smoothly.

Research has also shown that cumin may stimulate the pancreas to release enzymes that are necessary for proper digestion and the absorption of nutrients. Drinking cumin tea can alleviate digestion issues such as flatulence, indigestion, diarrhea, nausea, and morning sickness.

This powerful little seed also boasts anti-carcinogenic properties. In laboratory tests, cumin was shown to reduce the risk of stomach and liver tumors in animals. Cumin’s potent free radical (harmful chemical) scavenging abilities, as well as its boost to detoxification enzymes in the liver, may be the key to its cancer fighting properties.
Cumin has an ORAC value of 50372 (Trolox Equivalents per 100 grams.  1007 per 2 grams).

In the Kitchen
Bring out the fullness of cumin’s flavour by lightly roasting whole seeds before use.