Caraway Seed

Caraway seed is the small, crescent-shaped dried fruit of Carum carvi with warm brown ridges. Its flavor is earthy and nutty with citrus and licorice notes and a faint piny aroma; it stands up well to fats and fermentation. Cooks toast or bloom the seeds, then use them whole or ground in rye bread, sauerkraut, cabbage dishes, stews, cheeses, and sausages; sold whole or pre-ground.

Caraway has been cultivated across Europe and Western Asia for centuries and features prominently in Central and Eastern European baking, German and Scandinavian cookery, and Middle Eastern pickling. Major production now extends through parts of the Netherlands and North Africa for global spice trade.