AJWAIN - AN EXOTIC HERB RIGHT FROM INDIA.

COMMON NAME: Ajwain

LATIN NAME: Trachyspermum Ammi

ORIGIN: India

HABITAT: The homeland of Ajwain is India, where it has long been cultivated. However, it can also be found in Africa, Iran, Afghanistan, China and some other countries.

BOTANICAL INFORMATION:
Ajwain  or Indian caraway (Latin Trachyspermum ammi)  belongs to the genus Trachyspermum of the Umbrella family, or Apiaceae. The genus includes about 20 species of annual herbs, growing mainly in Africa and Asia.

Ajwain is an annual herbaceous plant with a spindle-shaped, well-defined main root. The stem is up straight, furrowed, and highly branched from the base. The plant has grayish-brown seeds with longitudinal stripes. The plant reaches a height of 30-95 cm. Small white or lilac flowers are collected in umbrellas, which eventually turn into small oval seeds. The small fruits of Ajwain from olive to pale brown color in appearance resemble caraway seeds. The Greeks and Romans called them "ammi" or "king of caraway seeds." The seeds of Ajwain are distinguished from caraway seeds by an elliptical shape and miniature size. The aroma of the fruit closely resembles thyme due to the content of essential oil, the main component of which is thymol.

Ajwain blooms in June-July, the fruits ripen in August-September.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION: All parts of Ajwain contain essential oil; it is much more in fruits (2-11%), where the maximum amount is observed at the stage of milk ripeness of seeds. The main component of the essential oil is thymol (40-60%). In addition, the composition of the essential oil includes: carvacrol, α- and β-pinenes, β-fellandren, paracimol, dipentene, up to 40-50% fatty oil and protein.

Ajwain is also rich in calcium, carotene, iron, limonene, minerals, phosphorus, riboflavin, saturated fat, sodium, terpene, terpenoids, terpinene, vitamin B.

INTERESTING FACTS:

Essential oil, found in Ajwain, is used in soap making and aromatherapy.

The quality of Ajwain is described by its seeds: the finer and the brighter they are, the better Ajwain is. If to rub the seeds between your fingers, there appears a strong aroma. The long-lying Ajwain has a dull gray color and the smell is not pronounced.

The history of Ajwain is almost unknown. Since ancient times, it has been grown in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. The popularity of Ajwain in India is so high that it is grown in almost every private area.

If you chew the seeds of Ajwain, a bitterish taste appears very quickly, which intensively spreads throughout the oral cavity. Sometimes there can even be the numbness of the tongue. This is due to the content of the active ingredient thymol in the plant.

*Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult with your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.