From the Spice Cupboard: Caraway Seed

Rye bread just wouldn't be the same without caraway. Neither would soda bread. Or havarti cheese or traditional sauerkraut or the liquor aquavit. Caraway is one of those spices that we'd miss terribly if it weren't around. Do you have a favorite way to use it?

Caraway plants are actually a member of the carrot family, related also to coriander and cumin. It's native to central Europe and then spread to other parts of Europe, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. Both the roots and the seeds are edible. If you ever get your hands on some, the roots can be cooked just like carrots.

Caraway seeds are highly aromatic and have a distinctive earthy anise flavor. They pack a lot of punch for such tiny little seeds! Most recipes only use a teaspoon or less.

Besides all the traditional caraway-spiced dishes mentioned above, this spice is at home with a lot of different foods. We love it in potato salads and coleslaws. A pinch of it is a welcome addition to any tomato-based soup or sauce. It's pungent flavor also does well with poached fish, pork roast, and with polish sausage dishes.

We're getting hungry just thinking about it! How do you like using caraway?

Recipes with Caraway to Try:
• Caraway and Carrot Soup from Epicurious
• Grilled Bratwurst Sandwiches with Caraway Sauerkraut from Martha Stewart
• Beef Ghoulash with Dumplings from Simply Recipes

(Image: Emma Christensen)

Comments (16)

I use 1 T of fennel with a package of tempeh. Sautee with soy sauce, basil, red pepper flakes, sage, and pepper for a delicious vegan sausage alternative!

I often saute caraway seeds with chopped cabbage and onion until the cabbage has wilted for a side dish. It tastes a lot more complex than its ingredients because caraway is so distinctive, and can be paired with pasta and (vegan, in my case) sausage to make a quick meal.

It is essential in my Harissa recipe - which is sambal oelek [from the oriental grocery], lots of toasted and crushed caraway seeds, oil, and garlic. With a couscous dish - it is perfect and carries me back to Morocco.

there is almost nothing on earth that i hate more than caraway!

Someone beat me to the tempeh idea! I marinate and bake slices of tempeh for a sort of healthy, faux bacon for sandwiches and things. I love to marinate it with caraway seeds and use it on my vegan rubens.

Growing up in an eastern european household (read: meat & potatoes household) we would always add a dash of caraway seeds to boiled potatoes as a side dish. Goes a long way to spice up some spuds!

Good scrambled egg combination: scallions and caraway seeds. Not too many (of either). This is especially excellent on an egg on a roll. (with or without cheese and ketchup, but I'm happiest with)

I grind it in the coffee grinder with thyme, rosemary and other herbs and then sprinkle of chicken before I roast it.

It's fun to plant it too, grows to a largish plant (3 feet tall), lovely licorice-scented stems and fronds for in salads.

True---rye bread would NOT be the same without caraway seeds. It would be Better :) I can't stand caraway seeds! Occasionally I find rye bread without caraway, but not often. Husband thinks I should just make my own, but I haven't found a suitable recipe for my bread making machine.

I use caraway in harissa and in my jasmine rice when we're making Indian food. I didn't realize it was a mainstay in rye bread though. I just made a loaf of light rye yesterday, and could've added some. How much caraway seeds would you put in a loaf of rye bread?

I usually pour boiling water over the seeds and use the liquid for my rye bread instead. That way the bread has no seeds. The other way we use it is in sweet and sour cabbage with perogies and sausages for supper. We use the whole seed for the cabbage and sautee it with a bit of bacon fat or butter.

Goulashes (beef and pork), roast pork, sauerkraut, rye bread, roast goose.

If caraway and fennel would disappear forever, I would be happier. But I do prefer caraway to fennel, if you've GOT to put one in my food.

Cabbage and sauerkraut get a lot of oomph from these little seeds. A little bit of ground caraway lends a rich flavor to beef goulash.

The one place I come back to using caraway seeds is actually on a no-grill rib recipe. I cut spare ribs into 2-3 bone sections and boil them in water and caraway seeds the night before serving. Next day, simmer the ribs on low heat in a bath of Mojo and a BBQ sauce of your choosing. Wait until the sauce begins to thicken and caramelize, let stand another 15 minutes, and you're good to go!

I looove caraway and cauliflower! Toss florets with a thinly sliced onion, a few minced garlic cloves and a healthy shot of olive oil, with a bit of curry powder, garam masala, chili flakes and caraway, roast till golden and delicious! yummm