Description.
Caraway (Carum carvi L) is a member of the umbrella family. This one-or two-year-old plant with a stem height of up to 60 cm. There are so many people's names of cumin, and they differ in such variety that it is sometimes difficult to understand that we are talking about the usual spicy plant - caraway seeds: larvae, goatskin, chernukha, Chernushka, thymine, black coriander, thyme, anise field, ganus, barracks, gumba. Umbrellas-canteens of cumin are very similar to inflorescences of dill. Blossoms cumin in May-June, fructifies in July-August.
Composition.
Cumin fruits are rich in biologically active substances, and its chemical composition is very diverse.
Grass and fruits contain flavonoids (kaempferol and quercetin), isokverticin, rutin; roots - carbohydrates and ascorbic acid.
Essential Cumin oil contains cymene, D-limonene, dihydrocarveol, trans-dihydrocarvone, carvocrole, more than 20% fatty oil, protein, wax, mineral salts, coumarins, steroids, tannins, trace elements - molybdenum, manganese, strontium, vanadium, copper, zinc, iron. In the oil of black cumin found over a hundred active substances, the effect of which has not yet been investigated.
Application in medicine.
Cumin in folk medicine is used as an anticonvulsant, antispasmodic, analgesic, antiseptic and choleretic. It is beneficial for kidney and urinary tract disorders, other cases for its use - intestinal colic, enterocolitis, gastritis, chronic constipation, as well as epilepsy, hypertension, mastitis and bronchial asthma. In diseases of the pancreas, catarrhal diseases, as well as to increase sexual potency, prepare infusions of cumin fruit. To treat adenoma of the prostate gland, use a fine powder from the root of cumin.
In the case of a dysfunction of the bile ducts, an infusion of cumin seeds is given as a drink. Cumin is also known for its properties to improve digestion, increase appetite and increase the secretion of bronchial mucus. Traditional medicine uses a variety of medicines based on the roots and fruits of cumin. Due to its high antioxidant activity, plant essential oil can be used in the treatment of oncological diseases.
Cumin fruits have a pleasant taste, slightly similar to the taste of fennel or dill, and give a good refreshing effect. This property of cumin is often used as an effective remedy against fermentation and putrefaction of food in the intestines, it removes accumulated gases and has a diuretic effect. An enema with caraway will help a child if he has bloating. To do this, take 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dried fruit, pour 1 glass of water, boil 5 minutes in a sealed container. The same broth can be used as a drink with the accumulation of gases or pain in the stomach. In such cases, you need to add 1 tablespoon of sugar to it and take 1 teaspoon 5-6 times a day.
To remove the inflammation in mastitis, you can use a warm cake of crushed cumin fruit mixed with fresh peppermint leaves and rye flour. This mixture must be stewed with hot water, shaped into a warm cake and placed on the chest. Such treatment should be carried out by a course lasting several days.
If the eyes are constantly watering, especially in windy weather, it is possible to prepare caraway eye drops. To do this, take 1 cup of boiled water, add 1 tbsp. spoon the cumin fruit and boil for 10 minutes. While the broth is still hot, add to it 1 teaspoon of ovary, leaves of the plantain and the flowers of a cornflower. Leave the mixture infused for 24 hours. Then strain twice, and the caraway drops for the eyes are ready.
Cumin is an excellent antiseptic. The use of black cumin contributes to the destruction of intestinal and gastric worms. Black cumin oil is an effective and easy to use anthelmintic: for this you need to lubricate the anus every day. With the help of cumin, you can actively reduce the sugar content in the blood and restore the hair covering, fighting against alopecia. Breastfeeding mothers to increase the production of milk can be recommended to eat bread with caraway seeds and milk decoction of the fruits of the plant.
With colds, drops in the nose are good. Prepare them you can by this recipe: fry black cumin, grind in a coffee grinder, mix with vegetable oil, and bury in each nostril for 3-4 drops of infusion.
You can take cumin as a preventive. Recommendation - daily for 1 teaspoon of seed or cumin oil. It's good to add them to yogurt or orange juice.
Application of caraway in various areas.
Cumin common is often used in cooking as an aromatic seasoning. It is used in a variety of ways: for pickling vegetables, canning, pickling; it is added to baking - cookies and bread; used in the manufacture of vodka; without it marinaded herring can not do it, they are served with pork corned beef and minced meat; it gives a special flavor to cheeses and sausages. Caraway kvass is a remarkable diet drink and a known preventative against colds. Vinaigrettes, soups, casseroles and okroshki with caraway seeds have a wonderful aroma.
Cumin is one of the favorite spices in the national cuisine of many peoples of the world. You will find it in almost every dish of Indian cuisine. One of the national dishes of Polish cuisine is caraway soup. For the preparation of German vodka "kummel" use the seeds of cumin. In the Baltic countries it is added to curd and yogurt, sausages and cheeses.
Agricultural animals are given cumin seeds and straw after threshing this plant to produce higher milk yields. Smoke of black cumin can scare off insects. With snake bites, cumin oil serves as an excellent antidote.