Caraway

Caraway, Carum carvi, is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe and North Africa, with finely divided, feathery leaves on stems 20 to 30 centimeters tall and a main flowering stem 30 to 60 centimeters tall bearing small white or pink flowers in June and July. Its fruits, commonly called seeds, are smooth, crescent-shaped achenes about 3 millimeters long with five pale ridges and a distinctive smell when crushed, containing roughly 10 percent water, 50 percent carbohydrates, 20 percent protein and 15 percent fat, along with B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, phosphorus and zinc. Their pungent, anise-like flavor and aroma, from essential oils including up to 7.5 percent volatile oil dominated by S-carvone, make them a common addition whole to breads such as rye bread and Irish soda bread, and to dishes including sauerkraut and goulash across European cuisines.