Ajowan (Bishop’s Weed)
Trachyspermum ammi is one of several plant species that is informally known as Bishop’s Weed, and in Asia as carom. It is native to the eastern Mediterranean and is a highly valued spice in North India, Pakistan and North Africa.
The plant is an annual herbaceous aromatic with many branched leafy stems and can reach a height of 90cm. The fruits are 2–3mm long, grey-brown coloured, with a ridged surface, resembling caraway and cumin. They have a very pungent aroma and bitter taste, and the odour strongly resembles thyme, due to the presence of thymol. When crushed or ground (or roasted or fried) the fruit has a more intense flavour. Figure 6 shows a comparison of some different coriander family fruits.The related Ammi visnaga (also called Bishop’s Weed) was referred to in the first, second and third millennia BCE in Mesopotamia and was used in a similar way to cumin.3 Ajowan may have arrived in India with the Greeks.4
Ajowan seed is used both as a spice and condiment in many countries. It is also used in spice blends – berbere (Ethiopia), panchporan (Bengal) and chat masala (India), among others. As well as being popular in Indian curries, it is often cooked with vegetables and legumes and also added to flatbreads, snacks and pastries; it is also a common ingredient in pickles. Ajowan oleoresins are used in processed foods, snacks and sauces. Fatty oils extracted from ajowan seed have various uses in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, particularly for the scent of soap and deodorant. Thymol isolated from the volatile oil is commonly used as a component in toothpastes, mouthwashes and ointments. It is used as a traditional medicine to treat indigestion, flatulence and other bowel disorders.
Today ajowan is cultivated in the Mediterranean region, southwest Asia (Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan) and especially India, most notably in Rajasthan and Gujurat, although in other states also. India is the largest producer and exporter of ajowan fruit in the world. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are the largest importers, though the spice is relatively minor in global trade.