The genus Cuminum is derived from the Greek kuminon, itself probably derived from the Babylonian ka-mu-na. The ancient Mesopotamian civilizations of the Euphrates and Tigris valleys used its fruits for flavoring.
The Myceanes used cumin to season food around 2000 BC. It was used in Egypt during the time of the Pharaohs not only as a food spice but also to mummify the deceased kings, including King Tut around 1323 BC.
Pharaonic Egypt used cumin as a medicine around 1550 BC as the Ebers Papyrus states.
In India, since ancient times, cumin was used for its medicinal properties to aid digestion and to treat dysentery. Egyptians and Indians took it to relieve stress and lower blood pressure.
It was carried to Greece and Rome, who used it both as a medicine and as a cosmetic to induce a pale complexion. Ancient Greeks kept cumin at the dining table in its own container and this practice continues in Morocco.
The Roman scientist Pliny considered cumin an appetite stimulant. The cumin seeds, which are really fruits, have a warm, bitter flavor.
According to a rather humorous anecdote about this particular effect of cumin, students in ancient Greece and Rome would drink large quantities of cumin oil to induce a pallid complexion that was regarded as the mark of a great scholar! The student would become pale and therefore, appear to have studied late into the night.
It was introduced to the western world including Britain by the Romans and later to North America by the Spanish.
Cumin in ancient times
