SHAHI JEERA HIMALAYAN DELIGHT - 100 GMS / 3.5 OZ

Shahi Jeera is used extensively in medicines and in cooking too. This is darker and tastes little sweeter than normal jeera. It is used mainly in Tandoori dishes and in some specific Indian curries. Shahi jeera is also used as an ingredient of masala tea, owing to its sweet flavor. This is the uncommon spice variously called shahi jeera, black cumin, Kashmiri jeera, Himali jeera, Koshur zur, or kala jeera. Shahi means royal or fit for a king. Shah is a word of Persian derivative and means high king. If you add an "i" to the end of any Hindi or Urdu noun it becomes an adjective. Jeera (or zeera in Urdu) means cumin and is a word of Persian origin meaning fragrant or of pleasant aroma. So "shahi jeera" translates to "royal cumin."

The shahi jeera or black cumin plant (Bunium persicum) is native to northern India and Central Asia. It prefers the dry, scrubby slopes of the Himalayas or the mountains of Central Asia. It is a perennial plant that grows to two feet in height. What looks like seeds are actually the tiny fruits of Bunium persicum. The roots are also cooked and eaten eaten in Kashmir and have the taste of sweet chestnuts.

The flavor of shahi jeera/black cumin seeds is very similar to the earthy notes of cumin but somewhat milder, sweeter. It also has a bit of herbaceous note and a mildly astringent tang. When cooked the flavor becomes slightly nutty and will not overpower a dish with earthiness as cumin can do.

Helpful hints:
A good substitute for shahi jeera just would be cumin in a lesser amount. Cumin is closest in flavor to shahi jeera but much stronger. Do NOT use caraway seeds or nigella/kalonji as they have entirely different flavor.