Trachyspermum ammi Seeds | Ajwain
LATIN NAME: Trachyspermum ammi
COMMON NAME: Ajwain
Plant Profile
Trachyspermum ammi is a small annual of the carrot family, grown for seed that tastes of thyme and of celery at once. The plant grows to about seventy centimetres with finely divided leaves and umbels of tiny white flowers, and it looks like a weed until the seed sets. The seed is tiny, grey-brown and ridged, and it is the part that is used.
The species is native to the eastern Mediterranean and to South Asia, and it is grown in India, in Iran and in Egypt. It is one of the most common spices of Indian cooking, used in breads, in pickles and in fried snacks, and it is also a household remedy for stomach upsets. In India the seed is called ajwain or carom.
Science & Biotechnology
The seed oil is dominated by thymol, the same compound that gives thyme its antiseptic smell, together with gamma-terpinene and para-cymene. Thymol is antibacterial and antifungal, and it is the reason ajwain is used for stomach complaints and for coughs. The seed also contains a small amount of essential oil in the fruit wall, which is why the aroma is released when the seed is crushed.
The plant is a member of the Apiaceae, and its seed is technically a schizocarp, a fruit that splits into two halves when ripe. The two halves are the ‘seeds’ sold in the market. The species is closely related to celery and to caraway, and it crosses with wild relatives in the genus, which is a problem for seed production.
Uses & Benefits
The seed is used whole or ground in bread, in pickles, in lentil dishes and in fried snacks, and it is one of the ingredients of the spice mix used for chaat. It is also chewed as a digestive and used in a tea for coughs.
In Ayurveda the seed is used for colic, for indigestion and for bronchitis, and the oil is applied to the skin for rheumatism. The seed is also used as a fumigant and as an insect repellent in stored grain, and the plant is grown as a catch crop in dry regions.
Growing from Seed
Seed should be sown directly, since the plant resents transplanting. Sow in spring at 15 to 20 degrees, one centimetre deep, and thin to twenty centimetres apart. Germination is in one to two weeks.
The plant wants full sun, a long warm season and a well-drained soil, and it tolerates drought. It is killed by frost. Harvest the umbels when the seed turns brown, before they shatter, and dry them in the shade. It self-sows readily in a warm garden. In a container, use a gritty mix and water sparingly, since the plant resents wet roots. It self-sows in warm climates, so one row can become a patch.
Our Take
A small, unremarkable plant with a seed that tastes of thyme and settles the stomach, and one of the easiest spices to grow.
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