Cumin was considered sacred to the ancient Egyptians and Romans and is a must in Indian and Mexican cuisines. Now learn how to start your own Spice Collection with a little help from ECR Life and TV gardening personality Tanya Visser*…

Tanya has kindly given us this excerpt on cumin or jeera from the March edition of The Gardener Magazine:

Cumin is a true exotic, a flavour-filled treasure! It has played a vital role as both food and medicine and its journey across the world is utterly fascinating.

***CAUTION: ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING A HOME TREATMENT***

CUMINUM cyminum is native to Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean areas, but its exquisite flavour made it an integral spice in the history of the cuisines and medications of the Middle East, Spain, Mexico and India.

In ancient Egypt it was a treasured ingredient in the mixtures used to mummify the pharaohs; in the Bible it is mentioned as a seasoning for soup and as a tithe. It is also an ingredient in the Indian spice mixtures known as advieh and garam masala, in the Afghan char masala and in the pickling mixes of Spain.

It was also used in Roman ceremonial wines and meat condiments. In the first century AD Pliny the Elder listed it as “the spice that no one ever tires of”. Cumin is listed in the pharmacopoeias of the world and in several countries, mainly India and China and Indonesia, it is still a valuable export commodity.

Research has verified its reputation for having extraordinary digestive, soothing and calming qualities – it has been found to stimulate the secretion of pancreatic enzymes that aid nutrient digestion and assimilation.

Its rich volatile oils are both antispasmodic and calming and are now being found to protect against certain cancers, specifically liver and stomach tumours.

Cumin has been found to have detoxification abilities, particularly in the liver, and potent free-radical activity.

WIN! WIN! WIN!

One lucky ECR Life reader will win a year’s subscription to either The Gardener or Die Tuinier magazines!

All you have to do to stand a chance, is email your details to life@ecr.co.za with “Gardening” in the subject line.

The competition closes on Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at noon
The winner will be notified via email.

*Tanya Visser studied horticulture at what was then Technikon Natal in Durban. She’s the editor of The Gardener and Die Tuinier magazines and presenter of The Gardener TV series on the Home Channel. Tanya’s really passionate about plants, gardens and people. She’s equally passionate about sharing her knowledge with others and seeing them put it into practice in their own gardens.