Caraway

Where it comes from

Caraway is the seed of Carum carvi, a biennial in the parsley family with feathery leaves and white umbel flowers. It grows wild from Scandinavia to Morocco and has been cultivated since at least Roman times. Finland, Egypt, and the Netherlands are major modern producers.

Flavor & pairing

The dominant compound is carvone, which gives caraway its sharp, almost menthol-cool edge. There is anise sweetness too, but it sits behind a peppery earthiness that some palates love and some find soapy. It cuts through cabbage, potatoes, and fatty pork like few other spices.

How it’s used

German bakers fold it into pumpernickel and dark rye. Austrian and Hungarian cooks dust it over roast pork and stir it into goulash. Scandinavian kitchens flavor akvavit and sauerkraut. North African harissa pastes balance the chili heat with caraway and cumin. The German liqueur Kümmel takes its name from the German word for the spice.

Trade history

Caraway seeds were placed in Egyptian tombs as food for the afterlife and remain one of the longest-used culinary spices in continuous Western European use.