Description

Ajwain, ajowan[3] (/ˈædʒəwɒn/), or Trachyspermum ammi—also known as ajowan caraway, bishop’s weed,or carom—is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae (or Umbelliferae). Both the leaves and the seed‑like fruit (often mistakenly called seeds) of the plant are consumed by humans. The name “bishop’s weed” also is a common name for other plants. The “seed” (i.e., the fruit) is often confused with lovage “seed”.

 

Ajwain’s small, oval-shaped, seed-like fruits are pale brown schizocarps, which resemble the seeds of other plants in the family Apiaceae such as caraway, cumin and fennel. They have a bitter and pungent taste, with a flavor similar to anise and oregano. They smell almost exactly like thyme because they also contain thymol, but they are more aromatic and less subtle in taste, as well as being somewhat bitter and pungent. Even a small number of fruits tends to dominate the flavor of a dish