Ajwanseed
Ajwan (pronounced as aj’o-wen) is a member of the Umbelliferae family. It is used in Indian cooking, as it is specially suited for the delicate vegetarian dishes in India. Ajwan is an annual herbaceous plant that grows to a height of 30 -70 cm. It bears leaves that are feathery and has red flowers. They are dried and threshed when the seeds are ripe, The grayish-green seeds are striped and curved and in appearance they are similar to cumin or caraway seeds. It is usually found with a fine silk stalk attached.
Normally, whole seeds of Ajwanseeds are sold. It is considered to have medicinal value . Chewing the seeds which taste bitter are a bit hot could make the tongue numb for a while. They have a strong and distinctive thyme-like fragrance when crushed,
Ajwan is native to India, but they are also grown in Iran, Egypt
Pakistan and Afghanistan.In
India, the major producers are the states Rajasthan and Gujarat,
with Rajasthan producing about 90% of India's total
output.
in southern India, Ajwan is traditionally believed to improve
digestion. Dry seeds are powdered and soaked in milk and given to
infants after filtering. People in North India use it as an
effective remedy for stomach pain, by consuming a spoonful of the
powder adding a pinch of salt with a glass of water.
