Caraway (Carum carvi) is used to Europe, western Asia and northern Africa, where people have used it as a spice for thousands of years. In the seedling year, biennial plants resemble carrots, growing about 20 cm (8 inches) tall, with finely divided leaves and a long taproot. By the second year, 60 to 90 cm (2 - 3 foot) stalks develop , topped by umbels with pink or white flowers . These produce the seed, which is used as a spice. Plants that produce flowers and seed will die. Only plants that have not yet flowered will produce seed the following year.
Caraway plants with small roots (less than 13 mm at the start of the second growing season usually do not produce seed. They remain vegetative through the growing season and produce seed the following year. Caraway plants with larger roots (greater than 13 mm) at the start of the growing season will usually flower and produce seed. The crescent-shaped seeds are about 2 mm long, curved and tapered at each end and have 5 pale ridges.
The entire caraway plant is edible. The roots may be boiled and treated like cooked parsnips or carrots. The young leaves can be used in salads or for seasoning soups and stews. The licorice flavored seeds give rye-bread its characteristic taste but are also good in potato soup, cheese spreads, sauerkraut and salad dressings. Several liqueurs are made with caraway, including Kummel and some Schnapps. The seeds and their oil are also used in a number of medicinal preparations for treating disorders such as rheumatism, eye infections and toothaches. The main constituents of caraway seed oil are carvone and limonene which have been reported to be potential cancer chemo preventative agents. The oil is also used as a fragrance component in cosmetic preparations including soaps, creams, lotions and perfumes.
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