Cumin

Cuminum cyminum

Historical tradition – not medical advice, and no health or healing claims. more

Historical botanical drawing: Cumin — Cumin

Tradition (Hildegard's writings)

In Hildegard's tradition, cumin was associated with digestion and the airways.

Ingredients

The fruits are used, usually freshly ground.

Note

The Hildegard literature advises expressly against cumin for anyone with a heart condition or during an acute illness — a reservation already found in the Physica.

Botanical background

Cumin, usually called Mutterkümmel in the Hildegard literature, belongs to the carrot family and reaches heights of thirty to a hundred centimetres. Its flowers are mostly white, and it can also be recognised by the scent released when the fruits are crushed. The fruits hold up to fifteen per cent fatty oil, along with essential oils, bioflavonoids and cuminaldehyde, which accounts for the characteristic smell. Hildegard describes cumin as of moderate warmth and dry, and names it as a spice to scatter over boiled or roasted cheese; at the same time she records that it does not agree with anyone who suffers pain in the heart. Cumin is regarded as the cumin of the Bible, while the kitchens of today mostly reach for caraway.

Sources & references

Strehlow, Wighard: Die Hildegard-Naturapotheke. Heilmittel und Rezepte von A bis Z. Knaur Verlag 2014.
Strehlow, Wighard: Der Hildegard-Kompass. Die wichtigsten Heilmittel und Anwendungen. Knaur Verlag 2014.
Hildegard von Bingen: Heilsame Schöpfung. Die natürliche Wirkkraft der Dinge (Physica). Hrsg. von der Abtei St. Hildegard, Eibingen. Beuroner Kunstverlag 2012 (4. Auflage 2024).

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More preparations using Cumin

Cumin and Pepper Powder Blend Cumin Powder

Historical tradition. The above describes how this preparation was recorded and used in the tradition of Hildegard of Bingen. This is cultural-historical information, not medical advice and not a health or healing claim, and it is no substitute for advice from a doctor or pharmacist. If you have health complaints, please consult your doctor or pharmacy.

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