The Herbarium
Print plate
Caraway botanical plate

Herb. No. 151 · Apiaceae

RangeFig. atlas
Approximate native range — a teaching atlas, not a survey

Temperate Eurasian biennial, the rye-bread seed of Central Europe.

Native · Europe · West Asia

Native Also grown
LegalGentleplant

Caraway

Carum carvi

Medicinal herbsKitchenHarvest

The rye-bread seed — a biennial umbel whose crescent spice is the carminative of Central Europe.

Caraway is a temperate biennial. Leaf in year one is a mild parsley; seed in year two is the spice of rye, goulash, and a digestive cup. Traditional European use is for gas after cabbage and beans. Culinary amounts are gentle. Keep it from fennel if you save seed. Wild umbels are the usual caution.

Flavor

Rye, dill, a little citrus-wood. Warm, not sweet like anise.

Parts used

Ripe seed · Young leaf

Helpful

  • Hardy, easy, a true spice

Cautions

  • Biennial wait for seed
  • Umbellifer lookalikes if you forage

Field assistant

Ask about traditional use, safety, or the law. The assistant will not teach illegal cultivation or give medical orders.

Related symptoms

indigestionbloatingcramps

Remedies with this plant

  • After-dinner settle

    Adult: one 8 oz cup after the meal. Seed teas: ½ tsp crushed seed. Ginger: 6–8 thin slices in 12 oz, sipped. Not three kinds at once.

  • Savory in the bean pot

    Adult: 1 sprig fresh or ½ tsp dried savory per pot of beans. Seed: ½ tsp crushed. Food first.

Harvest this plant

When to cut, how to dry, and how to store it — garden and kitchen crops only.

Open harvest notes