Ajwain (Carum copticum [L.] Benth. et Hook.)

Used plant part

The small, caraway-like fruits. These are sometimes mislabeled as lovage seed, although the fruits of lovage are, to my knowledge, not traded at all.

Plant family

Apiaceae (parsley family).

Sensoric quality

Similar to thyme, but stronger and less subtle.

Main constituents

The essential oil (2.5 to 5% in the dried fruits) is dominated by thymol (35 to 60%); furthermore, alpha-pinene, p-cymene, limonene and gamma-terpinene have been found.

Origin

Eastern Mediterranean, maybe Egypt. The main cultivation areas today are Persia and India.
 

Ajwain is not very common in our days; its usage is almost confined to Central Asia and Northern India. For example, the Bengali spice mixture panch phoron is sometimes enhanced with ajwain (see nigella). Ajwain enjoys, however, some popularity in the Arabic world and is found in berebere, a spice mixture of Ethiopia which both shows Indian and Arabic heritage (see long pepper).

The strong aroma is enhanced by roasting or frying and goes well with potatoes or fish. Legumes (lentils, beans) are, however, the most important field of application; in India, where these vegetables are popular since they provide a source of protein to the many vegetarians, they are commonly flavoured with a perfumed butter frequently containing ajwain. This seemingly simple preparation is much more sophisticated than sheer heat treatment, since most aroma compounds in spices are lipophilic and dissolve much better in fat than in water. Thus, frying in butter not only enhances the fragrance because of the high temperature, but also extracts the flavour to the fat, whence it can be dispersed throughout the food efficiently.

A typical recipe for lentils is the following: First, the dried and washed lentils are cooked until tender with turmeric being the only spice added. This lentil puree is then flavoured using a so-called tadka, a mixture of spices fried in butter fat (clarified butter, ghee): Cumin, dill and ajwain seeds are fried until they turn brown and evolve a strong aroma; then garlic or asafetida and possibly grated ginger are added and after some more frying the tadka is poured over the cooked lentils.

In Southern Indian cuisine (which is predominantly vegetarian), tadka-like preparations are not only applied to dried legumes, but also to green vegetables and boiled rice. Most popular for this purpose are black mustard seeds which are fried until they stop popping and curry leaves, which are fried for but a few seconds. Besides clarified butter, coconut fat is common.

Ajwain is much used as a medical plant in ayurvedic medicine (India). Mainly, it helps against diseases of the digestive tract and fewer. In the West, thymol is used in medicines against cough and throat irritation.