クミン

クミン(/ˈkʌmɪn/ (listen), /ˈkjuːmɪn/ (listen); US also /ˈkuːmɪn/ (listen); Cuminum cyminum) は、セリ科の顕花植物で、イラン-トゥラン地方原産である。その種子（それぞれが果実の中に含まれており、乾燥させて使用される）は、丸ごとまたは粉砕した形で多くの文化の料理に使われている。クミンは伝統医学で使われているが、治療薬として安全または効果的であるという質の高い証拠はない。

クミン
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Apiales
Family:	Apiaceae
Genus:	Cuminum
Species:	cyminum
Binomial name
cyminum L.

語源と発音

クミンという言葉は、中英語のcomyn、古英語のcymen（古高ドイツ語のkuminと同族）と古フランス語のcumminを経由しており、これらはいずれもラテン語のcuminumに由来する。さらにこれは古代ギリシア語のκύμινον (kúminon) に遡り、セム語からの借用語で、ヘブライ語のכמון‎ (kammōn) やアラビア語のكمون‎ (kammūn) と関連している。これらすべては最終的にアッカド語の𒂵𒈬𒉡 (kamūnu) に由来する。

英語での伝統的な発音は/ˈkʌmɪn/ (KUM-in) であり、「coming」の「-ng」(/ŋ/) の代わりに「n」を使ったような音である。アメリカの辞書編集者グラント・バレットは、この発音は現在ではほとんど使われず、20世紀後半に過剰外国語化された/ˈkjuːmɪn/ (KYOO-min) と/ˈkuːmɪn/ (KOO-min) に置き換わったと指摘している。

特徴

長さ約5mmのクミンシード

クミンは、セリ科の植物であるCuminum cyminumの乾燥種子である。クミンは高さ30〜50cmに成長し、手作業で収穫される。一年生草本植物で、細く無毛で分岐した茎は高さ20〜30cm、直径3〜5cmである。各枝には2〜3本の小枝がある。すべての枝は同じ高さに達するため、植物は均一な樹冠を持つ。茎は灰色または濃い緑色である。葉は長さ5〜10cmで、羽状または二回羽状に分かれ、糸状の小葉を持つ。花は小さく、白またはピンク色で、散形花序に咲く。各散形花序には5〜7個の小散形花序がある。果実は側性で紡錘形または卵形の痩果で、長さ4〜5mm、単一の種子を含む2つの分果からなる。クミンシードには油管を持つ8つの隆起がある。キャラウェイシードに似ており、長方形で縦に隆起があり、キャラウェイ、パセリ、ディルなどセリ科（Umbelliferae）の他の植物と同様に黄褐色である。

Confusion with other spices

Black cumin seeds

Caraway fruits are similar in shape and structure to cumin seeds

Cumin is sometimes confused with caraway (Carum carvi), another spice in the parsley family (Apiaceae). Many European and Asian languages do not distinguish clearly between the two; for example, in Indonesia both are called jinten. Many Slavic and Uralic languages refer to cumin as "Roman caraway" or "spice caraway". The distantly related Bunium persicum and Bunium bulbocastanum and the unrelated Nigella sativa are both sometimes called black cumin (q.v.).

History

Cuminum cyminum Linn

Cumin essential oil in clear glass vial

Likely originating in Central Asia, Southwestern Asia, or the Eastern Mediterranean, cumin has been in use as a spice for thousands of years. Seeds of wild cumin were excavated in the now-submerged settlement of Atlit-Yam, dated to the early 6th millennium BC. Seeds excavated in Syria were dated to the second millennium BC. They have also been reported from several New Kingdom levels of ancient Egyptian archaeological sites. In the ancient Egyptian civilization, cumin was used as a spice and as a preservative in mummification.

Cumin was a significant spice for the Minoans in ancient Crete. Ideograms for cumin appear in Linear A archive tablets documenting Minoan palace stores during the Late Minoan period. The ancient Greeks kept cumin at the dining table in its own container (much as pepper is frequently kept today), and this practice continues in Morocco. Cumin was also used heavily in ancient Roman cuisine. In India, it has been used for millennia as a traditional ingredient in innumerable recipes, and forms the basis of many other spice blends.

Cumin was introduced to the Americas by Spanish and Portuguese colonists. Black and green cumin are used in Persian cuisine. Today, the plant is mostly grown in the Indian subcontinent, Northern Africa, Mexico, Chile, and China.

Cultivation and production

Ground cumin on display at the market in Ortigia, Syracuse (Italy)

Commercially packaged whole and ground cumin seeds

Jeera (cumin) rice, an Indian dish

Cultivation areas

India is the world's largest producer of cumin, accounting for about 70%. The other major cumin-producing countries are Syria (13%), Turkey (5%), UAE (3%), and Iran. India produced 856,000 tons of cumin seed in the 2020–2021 fiscal year.

Climatic requirements

Cumin is a drought-tolerant tropical or subtropical crop. It is vulnerable to frost and has a growth season of 120 frost-free days. The optimum growth temperature ranges are between 25 and 30 °C (77 and 86 °F). The Mediterranean climate is most suitable for its growth. Cultivation of cumin requires a long, hot summer of three to four months. At low temperatures, the leaf color changes from green to purple. High temperatures might reduce growth period and induce early ripening. In India, cumin is sown from October until the beginning of December, and harvesting starts in February. In Syria and Iran, cumin is sown from mid-November until mid-December (extensions up to mid-January are possible) and harvested in June/July.

Grading

See also: Food grading

The three noteworthy sorts of cumin seeds in the market vary in seed shading, amount of oil, and flavor.

• Iranian
• Indian, South Asian
• Middle Eastern

Cultivation parameters

Cumin is grown from seeds. The seeds need 2 to 5 °C (36 to 41 °F) for emergence, an optimum of 20–30 °C (68–86 °F) is suggested. Cumin is vulnerable to frost damage, especially at flowering and early seed formation stages. Methods to reduce frost damage are spraying with sulfuric acid (0.1%), irrigating the crop prior to frost incidence, setting up windbreaks, or creating an early-morning smoke cover. The seedlings of cumin are rather small and their vigor is low. Soaking the seeds for 8 hours before sowing enhances germination. For an optimal plant population, a sowing density of 12–15 kilograms per hectare (11–13 lb/acre) is recommended. Fertile, sandy, loamy soils with good aeration, proper drainage, and high oxygen availability are preferred. The pH optimum of the soil ranges from 6.8 to 8.3. and emergence from heavy soils is rather difficult. Therefore, a proper seedbed preparation (smooth bed) is crucial for the optimal establishment of cumin.

Two sowing methods are used for cumin, broadcasting and line sowing. For broadcast sowing, the field is divided into beds and the seeds are uniformly broadcast in this bed. Afterwards, they are covered with soil using a rake. For line sowing, shallow furrows are prepared with hooks at a distance of 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 in). The seeds are then placed in these furrows and covered with soil. Line sowing offers advantages for intercultural operations such as weeding, hoeing, or spraying. The recommended sowing depth is 1–2 cm and the recommended sowing density is around 120 plants per m². The water requirements of cumin are lower than those of many other species. Despite this, cumin is often irrigated after sowing to be sure that enough moisture is available for seedling development. The amount and frequency of irrigation depends on the climate conditions.

Cultivation management

The relative humidity in the center of origin of cumin is rather low. High relative humidity (i.e. wet years) favors fungal diseases. Cumin is especially sensitive to Alternaria blight and Fusarium wilt. Early-sown crops exhibit stronger disease effects than late-sown crops. The most important disease is Fusarium wilt, resulting in yield losses up to 80%.Fusarium is seed- or soil-borne and it requires distinct soil temperatures for the development of epidemics. Inadequate fertilization might favor Fusarium epidemics. Cumin blight (Alternaria) appears in the form of dark brown spots on leaves and stems. When the weather is cloudy after flowering, the incidence of the disease is increased. Another, but less important, disease is powdery mildew. Incidence of powdery mildew in early development can cause drastic yield losses because no seeds are formed. Later in development, powdery mildew causes discolored, small seeds.

Pathogens can lead to high reductions in crop yield. Cumin can be attacked by aphids (Myzus persicae) at the flowering stage. They suck the sap of the plant from tender parts and flowers. The plant becomes yellow, the seed formation is reduced (yield reduction), and the quality of the harvested product decreases. Heavily infested plant parts should be removed. Other important pests are the mites (Petrobia latens) which frequently attack the crop. Since the mites mostly feed on young leaves, the infestation is more severe on young inflorescences.

The open canopy of cumin is another problem. Only a low proportion of the incoming light is absorbed. The leaf area index of cumin is low (about 1.5). This might be a problem because weeds can compete with cumin for essential resources such as water and light and thereby lower yield. The slow growth and the short stature of cumin favors weed competition additionally. Two hoeing and weeding sessions (30 and 60 days after sowing) are needed for the control of weeds. During the first weeding session (30 days after sowing), thinning should be done, as well, to remove excess plants. The use of preplant or pre-emergence herbicides is very effective in India, but this kind of herbicide application requires soil moisture for a successful weed control.

Cumin seed

Nutritional value per 100 g
Energy	1,567 kJ (375 kcal)
Carbohydrates	44.24 g
Sugars	2.25 g
Dietary fibre	10.5 g
Fat	22.27 g
Saturated	1.535 g
Monounsaturated	14.04 g
Polyunsaturated	3.279 g
Protein	17.81 g
Vitamins and minerals Vitamins Quantity %DV† Vitamin A equiv. beta-Carotene 7% 64 μg 7% 762 μg Vitamin A 1270 IU Thiamine (B1) 52% 0.628 mg Riboflavin (B2) 25% 0.327 mg Niacin (B3) 29% 4.579 mg Vitamin B6 26% 0.435 mg Folate (B9) 3% 10 μg Vitamin B12 0% 0 μg Choline 4% 24.7 mg Vitamin C 9% 7.7 mg Vitamin D 0% 0 μg Vitamin D 0% 0 IU Vitamin E 22% 3.33 mg Vitamin K 5% 5.4 μg Minerals Quantity %DV† Calcium 72% 931 mg Iron 369% 66.36 mg Magnesium 222% 931 mg Manganese 145% 3.333 mg Phosphorus 40% 499 mg Potassium 60% 1788 mg Sodium 7% 168 mg Zinc 44% 4.8 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Water	8.06 g
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.

Breeding

Cumin is a diploid species with 14 chromosomes (i.e. 2n = 14). The chromosomes of the different varieties have morphological similarities with no distinct variation in length and volume. Most of the varieties available today are selections. The variabilities of yield and yield components are high. Varieties are developed by sib mating in enclosed chambers or by biotechnology. Cumin is a cross-pollinator, i.e. the breeds are already hybrids. Therefore, methods used for breeding are in vitro regenerations, DNA technologies, and gene transfers. The in vitro cultivation of cumin allows the production of genetically identical plants. The main sources for the explants used in vitro regenerations are embryos, hypocotyl, shoot internodes, leaves, and cotyledons. One goal of cumin breeding is to improve its resistance to biotic (fungal diseases) and abiotic (cold, drought, salinity) stresses. The potential genetic variability for conventional breeding of cumin is limited and research about cumin genetics is scarce.

Uses

Cumin seed is used as a spice for its distinctive flavor and aroma. Cumin can be found in some cheeses, such as Leyden cheese, and in some traditional breads from France. Cumin can be an ingredient in chili powder (often Tex-Mex or Mexican-style) and is found in achiote blends, adobos, sofrito, garam masala, curry powder, and bahaarat, and is used to flavor numerous commercial food products. In Indian and other South Asian cuisine, it is often combined with coriander seeds in a powdered mixture called dhana jeera.

Cumin can be used ground or as whole seeds. It imparts an earthy, warming and aromatic character to food, making it a staple in certain stews and soups, as well as spiced gravies such as curry and chili. It is also used as an ingredient in some pickles and pastries.

Traditional

In India, the seeds are powdered and used in different forms such as kashaya (decoction), arishta (fermented decoction), and vati (tablet/pills), and processed with ghee (a semifluid clarified butter). In traditional medicine practices of several countries, dried cumin seeds are assumed to have medicinal purposes, although there is no scientific evidence for any use as a drug or medicine.

Volatiles and essential oil

Cuminaldehyde, cymene, and terpenoids are the major volatile components of cumin oil, which is used for a variety of flavors, perfumes, and essential oil. Cumin oil may be used as an ingredient in some cosmetics.

Aroma

Cumin's flavor and warm aroma are due to its essential oil content, primarily the aroma compound cuminaldehyde. Other aroma compounds of toasted cumin are the substituted pyrazines, 2-ethoxy-3-isopropylpyrazine, 2-methoxy-3-sec-butylpyrazine, and 2-methoxy-3-methylpyrazine. Other components include γ-terpinene, safranal, p-cymene, and β-pinene.

栄養価

100gの摂取量あたり、クミンシードは1日の摂取量の脂肪（特に一価不飽和脂肪）、タンパク質、食物繊維を多く含む（表）。ビタミンB群、ビタミンE、およびいくつかのミネラル、特に鉄、マグネシウム、マンガンが、1日の摂取量のかなりの量含まれている。

外部リンク

• [[wikibooks:Cookbook:Cumin |]] at the Wikibooks Cookbook subproject
• The dictionary definition of cumin/ja at Wiktionary