Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is a small annual plant of the parsley family, widely cultivated in the Mediterranean region of Europe and in India. Primary cultivation of cumin is in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa with India and Iran as the largest cumin exporters. The valued portion of the plant is the dried fruit called cumin seed, which is esteemed as a condiment. Cumin was known to the Egyptians 5,000 years ago and it was found in the pyramids. In ancient times cumin was a symbol of greed and meanness. Curiously, by the Middle Ages it was regarded as a symbol of faithfulness.
