Zira (Cumin)
Spices and herbsUzbek pilaf - zira - looks like caraway seeds. But its seeds are smaller, and the aroma is sharper and more spicy, intensified by grinding or roasting the seeds. The taste is spicy, rather sharp and pungent. The second name for this spice comes from the name of the small island of Kumino in the Maltese archipelago. Well known since the days of Ancient Greece and Rome, cumin was the most common spice in Europe until the 14th century, when it was supplanted by cumin. Nowadays, cumin can be found in France, Spain and Portugal, mainly in rice and vegetable dishes. Where they have an enduring love for this spice is in North Africa, Asia and Latin America. Mexican sauces, soups and the famous are not complete without ground cumin seeds. In Morocco, Turkey and Algeria, cumin is added to couscous, lamb, rice, beans, fish, chicken, eggplant and other vegetables. Indian chefs make sure to put cumin in curry. Where to add: pilaf, other rice-based dishes, minced meat, lamb, lamb, beans, fish, chicken, vegetables, as well as couscous, chili-con-carne, lula - kebab, curry. Advice. To make the aroma of cumin to develop more fully, first grind the seeds in a mortar or fry them in a dry frying pan. Indian chefs also roast cumin seeds in oil along with onions.
