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Caraway - Carum
Carvi.
Originally from southeastern Europe and western Asia
Caraway has been cultivated for thousands of years. It is believed
that seeds found at Neolithic sites in Europe, were Caraway seeds and
the Ancient Greeks certainly used them, as did the Romans, to relieve
indigestion. In Tudor times Caraway seeds were also popular in the baking of cakes and breads,
or were sugared and served as a side dish.
Caraway is a biennial herb and not particularly hardy, so the plants
must be protected with a mulch during the winter. The first year will
see the young plants reach about 20 cm high and then go on to some 60cm
in height in the second before flowering. The foliage of growing
plants is delicate and lacy, like that of carrots and the flowers are greenish white,
which when pollinated, produce seed that ripens in midsummer, after which the plant dies.
Caraway is still used in some modern herbal remedies for digestive disorders
and in the production of essential oils that are used to decrease
bruising in the skin.
The oils are also used in soaps, lotions and in perfume and the seeds can
be chewed as breath sweeteners.
The flavour of Caraway is quite distinct and used commercially in the
production of the drink called Kummel, but it also has many healthier
culinary uses. Seeds can be sprinkled on loaves of bread and can
be added to cakes, baked fruits, chutneys and pickles. In olden times
the roots of this herb were roasted just like carrots, turnips or any other vegetable.
The leaves can be added to flavour stews or soups and Caraway and baked
apples works very well with pork.
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