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| Trachyspermum copticum |
- Ammi majus is known as bishop's weed.
- Ground-elder is also known as bishop's weed.
Ajwain or Ajowan Caraway (botanical name of Trachyspermum copticum as from the ITIS Standard Report Page) (also known as Ajowan caraway, carom seeds or mistakenly as bishop's weed), is an uncommon spice except in certain areas of Asia. It is the small seed-like fruit similar to that of the Bishop's Weed(Ammi majus) plant, egg-shaped and grayish in colour. The plant has a similarity to parsley. Because of their seed-like appearance, the fruit pods are sometimes called ajwain seeds or mistakenly as bishop's weed (Ammi majus) seeds (Botanical Synonyms for Ajwain, which are no longer accepted by ITIS are, Ammi copticum, Carum copticum, Trachyspermum ammi).
Ajwain is often confused with lovage seed; even some dictionaries mistakenly state that ajwain comes from the lovage plant. Ajwain is also called 'owa' in Marathi, 'vaamu' or Oma in Telugu, "omam" (ஓமம்) in Tamil, "ajwana" in Kannada, "ajmo" (અજમો) in Gujarati, "jowan" in Bengali and "asamodagam" in Singhalese.
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Flavour and aroma
Raw ajwain smells almost exactly like thyme because it also contains thymol, but is more aromatic and less subtle in taste, as well as slightly bitter and pungent. It tastes like thyme or caraway, only stronger. Even a small amount of raw ajwain will completely dominate the flavor of a dish.
In Indian cuisine, ajwain is almost never used raw, but either dry-roasted or fried in ghee or oil. This develops a much more subtle and complex aroma, somewhat similar to caraway but "brighter". Among other things, it is used for making a type of paratha, called 'ajwain ka paratha'.
History
Ajwain originated in the Middle East, possibly in Egypt. It is now primarily grown and used in the Indian Subcontinent, but also in Iran, Egypt and Afghanistan. It is sometimes used as an ingredient in berbere, a spice mixture favored in Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Omam (Ajwain) is used to make a special food called the 'omapodi'. It is also mixed in several snacks of north and south India. Omam is used to cure digestive problems in children and adults. Omam is also mentioned in ancient Tamil literatures.
Uses
It reduces flatulence caused by beans when it is cooked with beans. It may be used as a substitute for cumin as well. It is also traditionally known as a digestive aid and an antiemetic.
External links
- Ajwain from The Encyclopedia of Spices
- Ajwain page from Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages
- Trachyspermum copticum ITIS Reference for Ajowan Caraway
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 31 December 2008, at 17:44.
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