Zira: health benefits and harms

Fans of dishes with the addition of overseas seasonings will certainly appreciate such an exotic spice as zira. This fragrant seasoning comes from India. Now it is very popular all over the world. It is often added to culinary masterpieces. In addition to the indisputable culinary benefits, zira also copes with many infectious diseases, insomnia, pathologies of the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, accelerates the regeneration and slows down the growth of tumors.

What is zira?

This spice originally grew in Egypt and India. Currently, China, America, Turkey, Africa and Iran are engaged in its cultivation. Spice is the seed of a plant belonging to the Aluminum family. Plant height reaches an average of 30 cm, this is a biennium. There are several types of this plant.

1. White cumin (the most popular type, it is most often used).
2. Black cumin (has a bitter taste and pungent odor).
3. Bunium (the rarest species, its place of growth is Tajikistan).

After tasting the fresh seed of zira, you can feel a bitter aftertaste in your mouth. That is why it is recommended to fry them in vegetable or ghee before use, or simply dry them in a frying pan until they acquire a dark brown color to reveal a pleasant aroma of spice.

The name "zira" seasoning received in India. But in other languages ​​it is often called black cumin, kala jira, Roman or Indian caraway seeds, zatram, jaara. That is why, when preparing an exotic dish, it is not always clear from the recipe which seasonings should be added.

Over 35,000 tons of zira are made annually. This indicates a great demand and popularity of spices.

What is the difference between zira and caraway seeds

Initially, due to the mistranslation of cumin and caraway seeds in Europe, they were considered the same seasoning. But, despite the resemblance, they have a different taste and purpose. To avoid confusion, you should carefully consider the spice seeds, smell and taste. Caraway seeds have a milder aroma, while zira has a bright sour-bitter smell, with notes of shades of walnut. In addition, you can visually notice that cumin seeds are thinner and smaller. The country of origin of each seasoning is also different. India has shown Zira to the world, and Europe is the birthplace of caraway seeds.

Composition and calorie content

The composition of this spice contains essential oil, a large number of vitamins of groups A and B, in addition, C, K, E, a small amount of gum. Seasoning is also rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc.

100 g of product contain only 112 kcal.

Useful properties of zira

General benefit

1. Cumin can serve as a natural antiseptic, analgesic, cleansing agent, preventing the formation of blood clots, calming, toning the body. It prevents the formation of cancer cells by healing damage to the surface of the skin. Seasoning also has a diuretic, laxative and restorative property.
2. Spice has a beneficial effect on the digestive tract. It helps to improve appetite, activates the digestive system, helps the body clear itself of harmful substances, accumulated slag and toxins. Zira also has a laxative effect, relieves colic and flatulence.
3. Spice seeds contribute to the improvement of metabolic processes. Experts advise including it in your diet for a disease such as diabetes, as it helps to lower the patient’s blood glucose level.
4. As an antiseptic, the properties of spice are used in the treatment of various infections. They have a diuretic effect, relieve infections in the urinary system.
5. Spice helps reduce blood pressure, counteracts the formation of thrombosis, making the walls of blood vessels more elastic, improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
6. Spice has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, has a calming effect, improves brain activity. With the help of cumin, they cope with signs of insomnia, treat nervous disorders, eye diseases.
7. Most often, decoctions are prepared from the seed of spices. Such a drink has a positive effect on all systems of the human body as a whole.

For women

Due to its rich vitamin composition, zira seed oil is used by women to improve the structure of hair and skin. It stops and eliminates various inflammatory processes on the skin, helps restore damaged cells. It is used in the treatment of various fungal infections. It is an effective remedy against acne, the effects of an allergy on the skin of the face. It makes the skin firmer and more elastic, enhances the protective immunity of the epidermis, cleanses pores and relieves swelling of the face.

For men

Spice tincture favorably affects male sexual activity, stimulating sexual function. To prepare it, you need to take 250 g of powdered seeds of zira, 250 g of chopped ginger, 180 g of aniseed seeds. Pour all this with 1 liter of 70% purified alcohol. Insist in a sealed container for a week, not forgetting to turn it over every day. During treatment, you must drink 25 ml of tincture up to three times during the day.

During pregnancy

Spice helps to improve the digestive tract, reduce gas formation, helps to remove toxins from the body, toxins and harmful substances. A drink from Zira is an excellent remedy for manifestations of toxicosis in early pregnancy, which helps to establish normal sleep.

When breastfeeding

During the period of breastfeeding, zira helps to improve lactation, increase flushing of milk. It is necessary to take zira powder in half with sugar in equal parts up to three times during the day. You can cook a decoction in water or milk. Take it 3 times a day.

For children

Unconcentrated broth with cumin seeds is given to children with colic. Spice is allowed for children, but only in small quantities. Before including this spice in the baby’s diet, make sure that there is no allergy.

When losing weight

A significant result in the process of losing weight is a scientifically confirmed fact. Specialists during the experiment, which was attended by 88 women who wanted to lose weight, proved the effectiveness of spice. Before the experiment, the girls were divided into several groups. The first group ate yogurt with 3 g of kumis. The second group consumed the same yogurt, but without spice. Everyone had the same diet, food, too. Three months later, after evaluating the results, it turned out that the girls from the group who use yogurt with zira lost 15% more weight than from the other group. Experts say that this happened due to the excellent property of spices to cleanse the body of toxins, toxins, excess food. In addition, zira helps to increase the speed of the fat burning process, accelerate the metabolism. With a low-calorie diet, adding a little cumin to the diet, you can achieve the desired results quickly enough.

There are diets that include adding 10 grams of zira, as a separate item, to green tea. But it is worth remembering that if you take the spice incorrectly, on the contrary, it will contribute to the collection of extra pounds. Therefore, eating more than 10 g of spices during the day is not recommended.

The use of zira in folk medicine

1. A decoction of spice seeds is an effective remedy for colds, infections of ENT organs, problems with the urinary system.To prepare this decoction, you need to take 10 g of spice and pour 250 ml of boiled water. Put the mixture in a water bath and cook until it boils, then boil for another quarter hour. Remove from heat and let it brew for about half an hour. Strain or filter the drink, after which it can be eaten. Drinking a drink is recommended three times during the day at 45 ml. This decoction helps to eliminate infectious foci and inflammatory reactions, copes with cough symptoms, helps the body remove toxins.
2. With insomnia, memory lapses, a decoction of cumin seeds with milk will help. To cook it, you need to take 250 ml of warm milk, pour half a small spoon of cumin into it. Before this, the spice seed must be crushed to a powder state. Drinking such a drink is recommended before bedtime.
3. In order to improve intestinal motility, cleanse the body of toxins and toxins, get rid of the symptoms of dyspepsia, you must include a decoction in your diet. To cook it, you will need 5 g of zira and 250 ml of cold water. Add zira to the water and put in a water bath. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then cook until the water darkens. Remove from heat and close tightly with a lid, allow to cool. Strain the resulting mixture and divide into three parts. Take three times a day. The tool will also help to cope with colic and flatulence, improve the digestive system.
4. In the treatment of diseases of the kidneys and organs of the urinary system, tincture of cumin seeds is used. Since it has a diuretic effect, it can also be used as a means of lowering blood pressure. Prepare this drug is necessary from 10 g of zira and 250 ml of boiling water. Pour the seeds with boiled hot liquid, leave to infuse for half an hour, then strain and consume 3 times a day, pouring the drink into equal parts. This tool helps to cope with infections, driving them out of the body, relieve the inflammatory process, and lower blood pressure.
5. Rapid tissue regeneration, as well as antiseptic action, are possible when applying lotion with zira. They are also used as a means to quickly heal wounds, eliminate tumors, and get rid of joint pain. In order to make a healthy drink, you need 2 tablespoons of anise oil, 5 tablespoons of olive, 3 tablespoons of cumin seeds. Mix all the ingredients together, before grinding the zira to a powder state. Heat the mixture in a water bath to 37 degrees. Moisten a bandage or gauze and apply to a sore spot for at least an hour.

Zira in cooking

Frying seeds in ghee or vegetable oil and then adding to the baking, you can make it more saturated and fragrant. Adhering to some cooking methods, you can achieve an excellent result.

1. Put a pan with zira seeds on the stove. When they start to sizzle, put 150 g of basmati rice in a hot frying pan, but normal will do. Mix all the ingredients well, salt and add about 400 ml of water, cover and cook until cooked. The dish is very popular in India, it is called "zira rice."
2. Bread or any other pastry baking can be decorated with zira seeds.
3. The cumin oil remaining after frying the seeds can be used to pour fried or boiled potatoes; it turns out quite tasty and unusual.
4. The culinary spices fried in oil are included in dishes with boiled lentils and beans, seasoned with other spices such as turmeric and salt.
5. Zira is perfect for dressing soups.
6. Smear toasts or slices of bread can be not only traditional products, for example, instead of butter, you should prepare a filling with zira. To make it, you need to fry the seeds of cumin in oil until the moment hiss, then add them to the grated Adyghe cheese, knead and use.
7. The fried cumin seeds give the stewed vegetables a certain piquancy and an unusual flavor.To prepare such a dish, you need to stew vegetables with this spice, add grated or finely chopped ginger, half a teaspoon of powdered turmeric. Salt and pepper depending on taste preferences.
8. By adding ground cumin to classic yogurt, you can get not only healthy, but also delicious product. And if you add grated or finely chopped vegetables, roast peanuts, you get an almost national "raita" - a dish that is prepared in India in hot weather.
9. Salads are also seasoned with fried cumin.
10. If you want to diversify your menu with Indian tastes, just add zira seeds to ready-made spaghetti or pasta.
11. Pies with salted filling, pizzas are often seasoned with cumin.
12. Cumin seeds are also used for making tea. It is necessary to pour 5 g of seeds with a glass of boiling water, insist for 20 minutes. This tea is useful for digestive problems, as well as for prevention.
13. You need to grind the seeds in a mortar, because then you can get essential oils from them.
14. Grinding large volumes of seeds immediately for stocks is not recommended, since the spice loses its freshness and rich aroma over time. It is best to grind them right before adding them to food.

Where to add

In Asian and Eastern countries, zira is widely used in the preparation of various dishes. Apply spice in powder form and in general. Before adding cumin, they are always roasted in oil so that the spice saturates the dish even more with bright aromas. When frying, you should be careful, otherwise the zira can be overcooked. Then she spoils the dish, giving it a bitter taste and the smell of burning.

Cumin is seasoned with meat delicacies, added as a part of other spices for pilaf, when stewing vegetables, to bean dishes. Use spice in the preparation of minced meat and sausages. Zira seeds are added to give the marinade and sauce an exotic flavor.

Ground spice is added to various pastry pastries, dough. Thanks to this, products have a more intense and captivating aroma.

Uzbek cooks season with cumin kebab, ram kidneys and liver. European chefs use this spice in the manufacture of ravioli, add to minced meat or water, soups and omelets. Mexicans use zira as the main ingredient in the preparation of the national dish, chili con carne. Greeks spice in sausages, sauerkraut and stewed meat dishes. African people cook with its help borsets, Maghreb couscous. In the manufacture of cheese and other dairy products, cumin in the Baltic states is one of the main spices.

However, you should be careful, adding spice to dishes is better gradually, pre-trying so as not to spoil it. Spice has a rather specific taste, so not everyone will like it.

What can be replaced

Most often, zira is replaced with caraway seeds, since these spices are similar not only externally, but also have a certain taste similarity. But spice differs in that it has a brighter and more saturated taste. Caraway seeds should begin to be added to the dish with half the norm specified in the recipe, and gradually brought to a taste that you like.

Another substitute from the parsley family will be coriander. Although it should be added carefully, because the taste will be slightly different than with cumin. Due to the addition of coriander, the dish acquires an earthy, lemon flavor. It is also better to start seasoning with half the norm stated in the recipe.

Zira goes well with chili peppers, so they can often be found in mixtures. Replace them with zira is also possible. The only caveat is that the dish may turn a little reddish due to pepper.So that the dish does not turn out very spicy, you should start adding with a third of the recommended amount of cumin.

An excellent alternative is garam masala, a popular spice mix from India with a “burning” taste. In its composition, it already contains a sufficient amount of zira. In the cold season, it is often added to various dishes. The color of food from adding the mixture will not change much.

Cumin is also replaced with curry powder, a popular Indian spicy mixture. The mixture contains a large amount of zira, which also added turmeric, coriander, ginger. The dish will have a sweet, earthy flavor with a hint of sharpness and turn yellow.

Application in cosmetology

Essential oil is prepared from this spice, which is also used in cosmetology. It helps to eliminate many shortcomings, for example, daily use allows you to even out skin color, lighten and moisturize it. A mask based on zira oil strengthens the bulbs and helps accelerate hair growth. Since essential cumin oil has dermatological and antiseptic effects, it can help with dandruff. Frequent use reduces inflammatory formations on the skin, copes with itching, and eliminates skin rashes. Therefore, cosmetology companies include zira oil in many of their creams, lotions, ointments, herbal teas.

This is an excellent tool for head massage. The nutrients that make up the essential oil have a beneficial effect on the skin and hair follicles. Spice helps calm the nervous system, prevents the occurrence of diseases on the surface of the skin, and fights against dandruff. The spice seeds contain B vitamins, which have a beneficial effect on the hair, accelerating their growth and making them soft and shiny. In addition, due to the content in the spice of limonene, aldehydes, pinet and camphene, the aging and graying of hair slows down.

Zira oil is used for body wraps. But the greatest effect can be obtained not from oil, but from ground seeds of zira, turned into a paste. This mixture must be applied to the scalp.

In order to quickly and effectively get rid of dermatoses, the following masks with the use of fiery zira are used in the treatment of the disease.

1. You need to take 15 g of clay and 15 g of the preparation of ground herbs (ubtan), as well as 5 g of fiery zira oil, 30 ml of purified impurity, hot water. The mask has a peculiar smell, so any essential oil can be added as a flavor.
2. To prepare the mask, you will need 5 g of the following substances: green ground tea, clay, ground oatmeal, preparations of ground herbs, fiery zira oil. After mixing all the ingredients, add 40 ml of hot water, purified from impurities.

These home masks should be kept for at least a third of an hour. Depending on the sensations, you can hold up to one hour, for example, taking a bath.

An effective method for the treatment of skin is spot application. Using cotton buds, you need to apply the product to problem areas of the skin several hours before bedtime. Then wipe the skin with a tonic for daily use. Sleeping with this product on your face is not worth it, as you can stain things that can hardly be removed from the mixture. This procedure allows you to localize the pain syndrome, get rid of itching.

Masks can be used as facial massage. They should only add one of the following oils to choose from: tea tree, juniper, olive, vetiver and kelp. The mixture is poorly absorbed into the skin, so it will take about an hour to massage. With this procedure, you can remove the swelling.

Oil perfectly copes with various inflammatory diseases on the surface of the skin.Using such masks, you can make the skin supple and elastic, slow down its aging. They will help get rid of acne, normalize the secretion of the sebaceous glands, and reduce pores. In its pure form, it is not recommended to use the product in cosmetology.

The healing and cosmetic properties of fiery zira oil were discovered more than 3000 years ago. Egyptian pharaohs treated various diseases with his help. The cosmetic effect of spices was discovered by the famous queen Nefertiti. Cleopatra loved to take baths with this healing anti-aging liquid.

1. To treat acne, mix sesame oil and fiery zira. The consistency should not be very liquid. You need to add another 15 g of ground wheat. Apply this mask to problem areas of the skin in the morning and evening. Keep on face for at least a third of an hour. After time, rinse off the mask with warm, clean, preferably boiled water. To increase efficiency and accelerate the desired result, tea with caraway seeds should also be taken.
2. To rid or reduce inflammation on the surface of the skin, you can use the following tool. To make it, you need to take a powdered fire zira and add a little distilled water to it, getting a consistency of thick sour cream. Apply the mixture to problem areas. This tool will also help to find the skin velvety and smooth, restore natural radiance. The epidermis will become more elastic, shiny, gain the ability to self-repair. It is best to apply funds on a steamed face. It is at this moment that the pores are open, nutrients can penetrate deeper and be absorbed by the body faster.
3. In order to cope with eczema, the following composition should be prepared. Take 500 ml of apple cider vinegar, 250 g of starch, 250 g of zira seeds and the same amount of olive oil. Add seeds to vinegar, then strain the mixture. Put the liquid on the stove, bring to a boil and add starch, continue cooking until a thick consistency is formed. Pour in oil and mix. The product is ready to use. It can be rubbed into problem areas on the skin at least three times during the day.

Harm and contraindications

It all depends on how and in what quantities this spice is used, with excessive use it causes an allergic reaction. Therefore, do not use spice for individual intolerance, increased acidity, stomach ulcer or duodenal ulcer.

People with diabetes and taking medications should use cumin with great care in their diet. Spice helps lower blood sugar, therefore, enhances the effects of drugs. As a result of this, hypoglycemia may occur, and blood sugar levels may drop sharply.

When using spice as a medicine, it is necessary to consult with a specialist beforehand.

How to choose and store

When buying spices in packaging, special attention should be paid to the tightness of the pack. When purchasing a spice in the form of seeds, it is necessary to carefully examine them and make sure of their integrity. They must be without debris, external damage, have a round shape. A pleasant, not very pungent smell should come from them. It is best to buy spice in specialized outlets.

Long-term storage makes zira seeds bitter in taste. Seasoning should be stored in a dark place in a glass container, not more than 1 year.

Interesting Facts

1. In ancient times, it was believed that the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony should have with them several seeds of zira. It was believed that this will help young people find a happy united destiny.
2. Zira can often be found in such a popular seasoning as curry, which has many cooking options. It is also located in the composition of the Armenian seasoning chaman, where in addition to zira, they also add coriander, fenugreek and various peppers.
3. In North Africa, based on this spice, a mixture is prepared in the form of a paste, which is called harissa. In addition to cumin, hot chili peppers, olive oil, fresh garlic, coriander, mint, vinegar and lemon juice are added to it.

Photo zira (cumin)