Cumin
Cumin: a concentrated spice that adds flavour, colour or intensity, and allows you to transform a dish with a small amount.
What it offers and why to use it
Cumin is a warm, earthy spice with a distinctive savoury aroma. Add it gradually and toast the seeds briefly, or bloom ground cumin in fat without burning it, to release its fragrance.
Concentrated aromatic profile that can be warm, spicy, sweet, earthy, or smoky.
From shopping to cooking
Choose
When buying cumin, make sure it retains its aroma and colour, that the packaging is dry and sealed, and that it doesn't show any clumping, insects, or a stale odour.
Store
Store in a cool, dry, and dark place. Whole spices retain their aroma for longer than ground spices.
Prepare
Add in small amounts first, then gradually increase. Toast lightly or add to a hot fat to release its aroma, but avoid burning it, as this can make it bitter.
How to make the most of it
Good pairings
Pairs well with sauces, vegetables, legumes, rice dishes, meats, fish, and marinades.
How to substitute it
Ground coriander offers a milder citrus note; caraway is sharper. Neither is identical, so substitute sparingly and taste as you go.
Recipes with cumin
Chickpea stew with pork belly and chorizo
Easy Includes 8 h soaking
Potato pea samosas with coriander sauce
Vegetarian
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