The history of cumin goes back over 5000 years. The ancient Egyptians used it as a spice in foods as well as in the mummification process. The Greeks and Romans used cumin as a spice and also applied it for medicinal purposes. Interestingly, it was used to make the complexion paler. (skin colour as political ground).
Originally from Iran and the Mediterranean, cumin is a small seed that comes from the Cuminum cyminum herb, a member of the parsley family. This seed has a distinct flavour and warm aroma. It is a major ingredient in chilli powder as well as curry powder. It is associated mostly with Middle Eastern, Indian, Mexican, and Vietnamese foods, but the ancient Greeks kept a dish of it on the dinner table, a practice which continues today in Morocco.
I love this project that works to build empathy and understanding through food culture. Conflict Kitchen combats the strategic dehumanization of the "enemy" through providing visitors with a direct experience of cultural traditions and there from people through meals.
Cumin biblical reference
Isaiah 28:25-27
25 When he has leveled the surface,
does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?
Does he not plant wheat in its place,
barley in its plot,
and spelt in its field?
26 His God instructs him
and teaches him the right way.
27 Caraway is not threshed with a sledge,
nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin;
caraway is beaten out with a rod,
and cumin with a stick.