Cumin is as old as the hills, dating back to 5,000 B.C. Most commonly used in chili powder, Indian curries and Middle Eastern cuisine, cumin has a warm, earthy taste. Its nutty-flavored seeds come in white, amber and black.
You can buy cumin ground or in seed form. The whole seeds will keep for up to 3 years. The ground variety, like other spices, can be stored for 1 year in an airtight container.
Reader Recipes Featuring Cumin
Give it a try in pasta and bean salads, soups and stews, deviled eggs, cheese bread…or whip up one of these cumin-laced recipes (all pictured above).
A mixture of onions, apples and mushrooms seasoned with cumin and Worcestershire sauce enhances Cumin Chicken With Apples from field editor Raymonde Bourgeois, Swastika, Ontario.
Canned Mexicorn lends a sweet twist to Cheesy Corn Spread from Jan Henderson of Smackover, Arkansas. It's a cheesy crowd-pleaser!
Cumin and chili powder season this traditional Pinto Bean Chili from Sandy Dilatush of Denver, Colorado. Quesadillas on the side make this Southwestern soup a meal.