Caraway

caraway Carum carvi, a plant cultivated for its ‘seeds’ (the split halves of the dried fruits), which are an important spice, used mainly to flavour breads, especially rye bread, and other bakery goods (see comfits; cake; biscuit; wigs; meringue) but also cheeses (see liptauer; tilsiter; leiden) and pickles. It is an ingredient in the Arabic spice mixture tabil and the N. African paste harissa. The seeds have a warm, sweet, biting taste.