Elwendia persica
| Elwendia persica | |
|---|---|
| A field of cultivated plants of Elwendia persica | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Apiales |
| Family: | Apiaceae |
| Genus: | Elwendia |
| Species: | E. persica
|
| Binomial name | |
| Elwendia persica (Boiss.) Pimenov & Kljuykov
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Elwendia persica is a plant species in the family Apiaceae.[1][2] It is related to cumin (Cuminum cyminum) and sometimes called black cumin,[3] or black caraway,[4] and has a smoky, earthy taste. It is often confused with Nigella sativa (which is also called black cumin, black caraway, or black seed[5][6]), by which it is often substituted in cooking.
Dried E. persica fruits are used as a culinary spice in northern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Iran. It is practically unknown outside these areas.
Etymology
Local names for that spice are kala zeera (काला ज़ीरा; literally "black cumin") or shahi zeera (शाहि ज़ीरा; "imperial cumin") in Hindi, shahi jeera (শাহী জিরা, "imperial cumin") in Bengali, syah zirah (سیاہ زیرہ; "black cumin"), kaala zirah (کالا زیرہ; "black cumin"), and zirah kuhi (زيره كوهی; "mountain/wild cumin") in Urdu, zireh kuhi (زيره كوهی; "wild cumin") in Persian, and siyoh dona (сиёх дона; "black seed") in Tajiki, and in Malayalam sahajīrakaṁ (സഹജീരകം; literally "with cumin" or "co-cumin").
The commonly used Hindi term shahi zeera (शाहि ज़ीरा; literally "imperial cumin") may actually be a distortion of syahi ("black" in Persian) zeera. However, in the Hindustani language, the term syahi (स्याही) also means "inky black".[7]
In Bengali, although kalo jeera (কালোজিরা) literally means 'black cumin', it actually refers not to E. persica, but instead to nigella seed,[8] which is widely used as a spice in Bengali cuisine.
Uses
The plant bears slender, elongate, ribbed fruits which are harvested once the plant has become very dry. Not more than 5 to 8 g can be plucked from each plant, contributing to their high price.
The seeds are most valued as a garnish to high value, very special Indian dishes; they should not be ground, as their flavour would be reduced.
Gallery
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A pinch of the slender fruits juxtaposed with a one cent coin for scale
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Close-up of slender seed-like fruits (mericarps)
References
- ^ "Elwendia persica (Boiss.) Pimenov & Kljuykov". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ "Elwendia persica (Boiss.) Pimenov & Kljuykov". Global Diversity Information Facility. GBIF Secretariat. n.d. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ Bansal, Sangita; Sharma, Kanika; Gautam, Vikrant; Lone, Ajaz Ahmad; Malhotra, Era Vaidya; Kumar, Sandeep; Singh, Rakesh (2023-02-17). "A Comprehensive Review of Bunium persicum: A Valuable Medicinal Spice". Food Reviews International. 39 (2): 1184–1202. doi:10.1080/87559129.2021.1929305. ISSN 8755-9129.
- ^ "Bunium persicum". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
- ^ "Nigella sativa". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
- ^ "Black seed". WebMD. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
- ^ Bahri, H. (1989); Caturvedi, M. (1970); Dasa, S. (1975), “स्याही”, in Digital Dictionaries of South Asia [Combined Hindi Dictionaries], University of Chicago
- ^ Dasa, Jnanendramohana (1937) কৃষ্ণজীরক (kr̥ṣṇajīraka), in বাঙ্গালা ভাষার অভিধান (Bangala bhashara abhidhana), 2nd edition, p.564. Kalikata: Indian Publishing House.
External links