Ajwain or Ajowan Seed

Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi or Carum copticum) is used all over the subcontinent for food and medicine. Its culinary and medicinal use extends to the Middle East and Africa. Parsis add it to bean dishes and flavor savory snacks with it. Because they have aromatic constituents in common, ajwain is often confused with thyme or oregano seed. All three are high in thymol, a powerful antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. Ajwain is actually an umbelliferous plant (in the same family as carrots and parsley) related to cumin, caraway, dill, and anise; like them, it is thought to have powerful medicinal properties as a digestive. Sometimes it’s bundled into a cloth, warmed, and used as a poultice for chest complaints.