Carum carvi

Carum carvi, “Caraway” in English and “Carvi” in French, belongs to the Apiaceae botanical family. It is a herb that can be 0.6 m tall. Native to North Africa, Asia and Europe, it grows in moist meadows, arable land and waste places.

It is mostly cultivated for its seed that is used as a spice and a flavoring.

The seeds are also used in traditional medicines for all kinds of digestive problems, improvement of liver function, and for its anti-hyperglycemic and antimicrobial effects. Its potential biological effects include anti-obesity, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, antispasmodic and hypothyroidism activities.

The seeds main constituents are limonene, carvacrol, carvone, carvenone, γ-terpinene, α-pinene, linalool, and p-cymene.

• English name Caraway
• French name Carvi