Caraway
- Carum
carvi
A
biennial herb, up to 0.75 metres high, with a much
branched stem and finely cut leaves and umbels of
white flowers, with a thick and tapering root. The
curved small seeds have 5 distinct pale ridges.
Folklore
holds caraway seeds as a guard against theft - laid
among possessions it was believed to keep away thieves,
whilst wives would hide caraway seeds in their husbands
pockets to ‘secure them from the whiles of other
women.’
Used
extensively in bread, cakes, and cheeses, the seeds
are also used to make the German brandy ‘kummel’.
Traditionally used as a remedy for poor appetite,Caraway
seeds can also be used to ease indigestion, relieve
menstrual cramps and nervous tension, and is also
used as a remedy for treating colic in babies :
simmer half a teaspoon of caraway seeds ina small
cup of boiling water for 5 minutes, then leave covered
to infuse for another 5 minutes, cool, strain and
administer in tiny drops.
As
a medicine in food, caraway seeds can be added to
cabbage dishes as a remedy to the windiness caused
by overcooked cabbage.
For
indigestion after meals Danielle Ryman suggests
the following : “chew a few caraway seeds slowly,
sipping a glass of warm water, and breathing deeply
for 10 minutes...”
!
Avoid in regular large or therapeutic doses during
pregnancy ! |