Description

Bunium persicum, the black cumin or Kashmir cumin, is a perennial umbelliferous herb of the family Apiaceae, native to the mountainous terrain of Central Asia — particularly Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and the Karakoram — extending into the Kashmir valley of India at elevations between 1,500 and 3,600 metres. It should be distinguished from Nigella sativa (kalonji), with which it shares some vernacular names. The small, elongated dark seeds carry a characteristic warm, slightly bitter, intensely aromatic fragrance derived from cuminaldehyde and thymoquinone derivatives. Valued in Kashmiri Wazwan cuisine, the seeds are also documented in Unani formulations as a carminative and digestive spice. Commercial production occurs primarily in the Kashmir valley and in Afghanistan, from where it is exported widely.