Cumin

Cumin (kammoun) is a strong aromatic spice whose pungent flavor persists for some time, and is used whole or crushed. In ancient Akkadian it was known as ‘kamunu.’ Arabic medieval sources, such as Kitab al-Saydana by al-Biruni (d.1048), mention that cumin growers do not actually water the plant but keep on promising to water it until it sprouts, which explains why in our folk culture procrastinators and those who promise but do not deliver are compared to cumin growers, as the following saying shows: