Ajwain seed, Usage : Food And Medicine

Ajwain, ajowan Trachyspermum ammi, also known as Ajowan caraway,  or carom, is an annualherb in the family Apiaceae. It originated in the eastern Mediterranean, possibly Egypt, and spread up to India from the Near East. Both the leaves and the fruit (often mistakenly called seeds) of the plant are consumed by humans. The plant is also called bishop’s , but this is a common name it shares with some other different plants. The “seed” (i.e., the fruit) is often confused with lovage“seed”. Ajwain is known as അയമോദകം in Malayalam and ஓமம் in Tamil.

The small fruits are pale brown schizocarps and have an oval shape, resembling caraway andcumin. It has a bitter and pungent taste, with a flavor similar to anise and oregano. They smell almost exactly like thymebecause it also contains thymol, but is more aromatic and less subtle in taste, as well as slightly bitter and pungent. Even a small number of fruits tends to dominate the flavor of a dish.