Wild Cumin

Lagoecia cuminoides

Physical Characteristics

Lagoecia cuminoides is a ANNUAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft). The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Distribution

Europe - South-eastern Portugal and Bulgaria to the Mediterranean.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Edible Uses: Condiment The seed can be used as a cumin substitute[46, 61, 177]. The uses of cumin seed are as follows:- Seed - cooked. Hot and aromatic, it is an important ingredient in curries, and is also often used as a flavouring in biscuits, cakes and bread where it also helps in improving the digestion[1, 4, 14, 21, 27, 46, 132, 171, 244]. The seed is harvested when fully ripe and is then dried and stored in airtight jars[244]. An essential oil from the seed is used as a food flavouring[46, 61, 171].

Medicinal Uses

None known

Known Hazards

None known