我最喜欢的大多数香料始于字母C：豆蔻，辣椒，肉桂，丁香，香菜，小茴香。我出生于印度，所以所有这些都早就熟悉了。但是，在我不得不长大的地方以欣赏豆蔻和香菜的微妙之处，小茴香是一个即时而持久的热门。

不可能说我为什么喜欢它 - 它深，令人满意，咸味，烤面包时坚果紧缩。同样不可能明确说出它的味道。小茴香是主要的口味之一。与臭虫和汗水相比，这是毫不恰当的。有些人称其为泥土，痛苦，辛辣，但可以说很多香料。理解小茴香的唯一方法就是以各种形式品尝它。

吐司，炸和研磨以发现其全部性格

Here’s how to explore cumin’s range, tasting as you go:

Have on hand some whole seeds as well as some purchased already ground. Chew on a few raw seeds. Appreciate their texture as well as their flavor. (If you want a platform for tasting the spice, try slices of lightly salted boiled potato or a little dish of plain yogurt with a bit of salt.)

接下来，用砂浆和杵捣碎一些生籽，并品尝一下。在研磨机中粉碎一些，并做同样的事情。最后，闻一闻和商业粉末的小茴香的味道，以查看差异。

到一个新的水平：在没有任何油的热煎锅中烤一些种子。让冷却一点并品尝。现在，将这些烤的种子重击，然后品尝。最后一步是在一个小煎锅中加热一茶匙的油，扔掉一些种子。当他们开始溅射时，将它们从油中抬出来 - 不要让它们燃烧或会味道苦味 - 放松一下，然后再次尝尝。

The goal is that after all of this tasting, you’ll come to see that every aspect of cumin has its charms. In fact, in Indian cooking, cumin is used raw, toasted, and fried—often in the same recipe.

世俗的香料

If I talk about cumin in an Indian-centric way, it’s more about my history than cumin’s, for the spice is an international star.

小茴香用于古埃及和地中海周围的土地。它从那里传播到东方，在印度受到特别热情的欢迎，并穿过北非和欧洲，到达新世界，在那里获得了同样快乐的接待。

You’ll find cumin in the spice section of your supermarket.您应该能够在任何印度，中东或西班牙裔杂货店中发现它包装或批量。如果您批量购买，只需在相对较短的时间内购买尽可能多的购买，然后从流动速度快的地方购买。而且，除非您心情非常懒惰，否则仅购买整个种子并将其存放在封闭的罐子中。很容易将您在砂浆和杵中或专用于香料的咖啡研磨机中粉碎所需的东西，而且风味的差异很大。

使用小茴香

您会在印度，拉丁美洲，北非，中东以及偶尔西班牙和葡萄牙的美食中找到使用小茴香的食谱。

小茴香独立良好，但它对大蒜和胡椒（黑色或智利）具有很大的亲和力，传统上与​​印度烹饪中的香菜配对。小茴香是咖喱粉的关键球员，经常出现在另一种名为Garam Masala的印度香料混合物中。它是Tex-Mex辣椒粉以及摩洛哥和其他中东香料混合物中的重要组成部分。

孜然是好的几乎一切的年代avory realm; it perks up meat, vegetables, and dairy dishes without heat. Another plus: when you eat cumin, you’re doing your digestion a good turn.

A final note: Recipes sometimes distinguish between white and black cumin. “White” cumin is our friendcuminum cyminum;黑茴香是术语混乱。它通常被错误地用于描述Nigella种子，这是一种完全不同的物种，具有完全不同的味道。Kala zeera,true Indian black cumin, is a dustily fragrant relative of caraway native to India and the trans-Himalayan regions, with specialized uses in North Indian meat and vegetable dishes. But that’s another story.

Experiment with cumin

• Before roasting a chicken or ears of corn, rub with a mix of pounded raw cumin seeds, soft butter, some crushed garlic, and a pinch of cayenne.
• Add an earthy flavor to plain rice by adding some raw cumin along with the salt and water. Or sizzle some seeds along with some chopped onion in butter or oil and proceed as you would for a rice pilaf.
• Sprinkle coarsely ground toasted cumin seeds over boiled or roasted potatoes, along with cayenne and salt.
• Transform a simple dip of cucumbers and yogurt by adding some toasted, ground cumin.
• Sizzle whole cumin seeds along with a clove or two of chopped garlic and add this at the last minute to lentil soup.
• 季节是Sofrito（切碎的洋葱，绿辣椒和大蒜的炒混合物），可慷慨地与小茴香。
• Add whole raw or toasted cumin seeds to cornbread or cheese straws.