cumin
Also known as: ground cumin
The dried seed of a plant in the parsley family, sold whole or ground, with a warm, earthy, slightly smoky flavor central to Mexican, Indian, and Middle Eastern cooking. Whole seeds toasted briefly in a dry pan or hot oil release noticeably more aroma than pre-ground cumin added straight in.
Buying guidance
Buy from a store with enough turnover that the jar is strongly aromatic when opened -- cumin fades to a flat, dusty smell within a year or so of grinding. Whole seeds keep their punch far longer in storage than ground; a small grinder or mortar is worth it if cumin shows up often in your cooking.
Substitutions
- Whole cumin seed, toasted and ground fresh -- the closest match for ground cumin, and noticeably more aromatic than a jar that's been open a while.
- Ground coriander -- doesn't replicate cumin's smokiness, but can round out warmth in a pinch; treat it as a partial fill-in, not a direct swap.
Tips & common mistakes
Ground cumin scorches within seconds in hot oil or a hot dry pan and turns bitter -- add it toward the end of a saute or over lower heat than other spices might tolerate, with the next ingredient ready to go in right after.
Storage
Ground cumin's natural oils mean it fades faster than many other ground spices even in ideal storage -- if buying it in bulk, keeping the excess in the freezer preserves the aroma noticeably longer than a cupboard would.
Used in 17 recipes
- Afghan Rice
- Bangin' Black Beans
- Basic Chili
- Black Bean Soup
- Black Bean Soup
- Bolivian Pork
- Carnitas de Jimmy
- Chicken & Spanish Rice
- Chicken Sausage and Roasted Potato Chowder
- Lamb Rump Tagine with Saffron, Carrots & Sweet Potato
- Lower Carb Chili
- Mexican Chicken Chili Soup
- Roasted Cabbage Wedges
- Rob's Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice
- Southwestern Tortilla Soup
- Taco Beef
- Taco Seasoning