Flat oval seeds with a sharp, caraway-adjacent bite — the classic pickling spice and a workhorse of Northern European cooking.
Where it comes from
Dill seeds are the dried fruit of Anethum graveolens, an annual umbellifer cultivated since the dawn of recorded agriculture. The plant is native to the lands stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to India. India is now the largest producer; Russia, Egypt, and the United States grow it commercially as well.
Flavor & pairing
Where the leaves are soft and grassy, the seeds are sharp and almost peppery, with carvone giving them a kinship to caraway. Dill seed pairs naturally with cucumbers, cabbage, beetroot, fatty fish, and creamy potato dishes.
How it’s used
The defining American pickle is a brine of vinegar, salt, garlic, and dill seed. Russian and Polish cooks stir dill seed into rye breads, beet soups, and sauerkraut. Scandinavian gravlax often gets a dust of crushed seeds along with the fresh fronds. Indian cooks add it to dal and rice in some regional dishes.
Trade history
Egyptian medical papyri from 1500 BCE list dill as a digestive remedy. The Old English word dylle meant “to lull,” referring to the herb’s calming use in colic.
Find more spices by letter
Dill Seed starts with D . Browse other spices along the same letter.
Spices that contain a letter from "Dill Seed":