IngredientsSpices
Kümmelcaraway
The dried fruit of Carum carvi. Curved, ridged lengthwise, dark brown.
It sits in Sauerkraut, in roast pork, in cabbage salad, in a lot of rye bread and in cheeses like Tilsiter.
Die Verwechslungthe mix-up
In Spanish caraway is alcaravea. Comino is cumin, a different spice from a different plant.
Both belong to the carrot family and look alike, and both names sound alike. The dishes do not: cumin makes the cabbage taste Mexican.
Geschmacktaste
The note comes from carvone: aniseed, sweetish, with a cool edge. Nothing about it is smoky.
Whole seeds give up their aroma slowly and take a long braise; ground caraway turns bitter fast.
Wowhere to buy it
Ask for alcaravea. Spice shops, City Market, Mercado Libre and Amazon MX carry it.
There is no substitute. Without it Sauerkraut tastes flat and the roast loses its lead note.