Caraway (Carum carvi), also known as meridian fennel, is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa.
thumb|Caraway [[fruits, informally called "seeds"]]
Etymology
The etymology of "caraway" is unclear. Caraway has been called by many names in different regions, with names deriving from the Latin (cumin), the Greek karon (again, cumin), which was adapted into Latin as (now meaning caraway), and the Sanskrit karavi, sometimes translated as "caraway", but other times understood to mean "fennel". English use of the term caraway dates to at least 1440, possibly having Arabic origin.
Description
The plant is similar in appearance to other members of the carrot family, with finely divided, feathery leaves with thread-like divisions, growing on stems. The main flower stem is tall, with small white or pink flowers in compound umbels composed of 5–16 unequal rays long. Caraway fruits, informally called seeds, are smooth, crescent-shaped, laterally compressed achenes, around long, with five pale ridges and a distinctive pleasant smell when crushed. It flowers in June and July. It was later mentioned in the Roman Apicius as an ingredient in recipes. Caraway was known in the Arab world as karawiya, and cultivated in Morocco.
The plant prefers warm, sunny locations and well-drained soil rich in organic matter. In warmer regions, it is planted in the winter as an annual. In temperate climates, it is planted as a summer annual or biennial. Finland supplied about 28% (in 2011) of the world's caraway exports from some 1500 farms, the high output occurring possibly from its favorable climate and latitudes, which ensure long summer hours of sunlight.
Nutrition
Caraway seeds are 10% water, 50% carbohydrates, 20% protein, and 15% fat (table). In a reference amount, caraway seeds are a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of protein, B vitamins (24–33% DV), vitamin C (25% DV), and several dietary minerals, especially iron (125% DV), phosphorus (81% DV), and zinc (58% DV) (table).
Phytochemicals
When ground, caraway seeds yield up to 7.5% of volatile oil, mostly S-carvone, and 15% fixed oil of which the major fatty acids are oleic, linoleic, petroselinic, and palmitic acids.
Phytochemicals identified in caraway seed oil include thymol, o-cymene, γ‑terpinene, trimethylene dichloride, β-pinene, 2-(1-cyclohexenyl), cyclohexanone, β-phellandrene, 3-carene, α-thujene, and linalool. Caraway is used as a spice in breads, especially rye bread. A common use of caraway is whole as an addition to rye bread – often called seeded rye or Jewish rye bread (see Borodinsky bread). Caraway seeds are often used in Irish soda bread and other baked goods.
Caraway may be used in desserts, liquors, casseroles, and other foods. Its leaves can be added to salads, stews, and soups, and are sometimes consumed as herbs, either raw, dried, or cooked, similar to parsley. The root is consumed as a winter root vegetable in some places, similar to parsnips.