''Trachyspermum roxburghianum'' (also known as ''Carum roxburghianum'') is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants t ...

in the family Apiaceae. It is grown extensively in

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

, and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

. Its aromatic dried fruits, like those of its close relative

ajwain Ajwain, ajowan (), or ''Trachyspermum ammi''—also known as ajowancaraway, omam (in Tamil), thymol seeds, bishop's weed, or carom—is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Both the leaves and the seed‑like fruit (often mistakenly called ...

, are often used in

Bengali cuisine Bengali cuisine ( bn, বাঙ্গালী রন্ধনপ্রণালী) is the culinary style of Bengal, a region in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent encompassing Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura ...

but are rarely used in the rest of India. The fresh leaves are used as an herb in Thailand and it is used medicinally in

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

and

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

Characteristics

The small dried fruits, commonly referred to as

seeds A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosperm ...

, are similar in appearance to those of ajwain, celery, and caraway. Because of their similarity in both appearance and flavor, it is often confused or substituted with celery seed.

Etymology

Known as ' in Bengali ( bn, রাধুনি), is often confused with celery and is known as wild celery in English. It is known as in Hindi ( hi, अजमोद) and Urdu ( ur, اجمود), both derived from Sanskrit ( sa, अजमोद, }) or ( sa, अजमोदिका), from which the name for

is also derived. It is also known as in Burmese, and in Thai ( th, ผักชีล้อม), although this name may also refer to a variety of celery. It is also known as (අසමෝදගම්) in Sri Lanka.

Uses

It is a very strong spice, with a characteristic smell similar to parsley and a taste similar to celery. A couple of pinches can easily overpower a curry. In

the seeds are used whole, quickly fried in very hot oil until they crackle. It is commonly used in the Bengali dish . They are sometimes part of a local (Bengali five spice) mixture replacing black mustard seeds; the other ingredients are

cumin Cumin ( or , or Article title
) (''Cuminum cyminum'') is a

fenugreek Fenugreek (; ''Trigonella foenum-graecum'') is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop. Its seeds and leaves are common ingredients ...

seed,

fennel Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...

seed, and

Nigella Seed ''Nigella sativa'' (black caraway, also known as black cumin, nigella, kalonji or siyahdaneh) is an annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to eastern Europe (Bulgaria and Romania) and Western Asia (Cyprus, Turkey, Iran and I ...

. In other places, a common use is in pickling or spice mixtures. It is commonly used as an herb for diarrhea, gastritis, loss of appetite, vomiting, abdominal distention, stomachache related to indigestion and also for worm diseases.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q673731 Apiaceae Spices Indian spices