Cumin Oil

#### Cumin Oil. This oil is distilled from the dried, ripe fruit (seed) of **Cuminum Cyminum, **known as **"Roman**** ****Caraway"**, a small herb originating in the Middle East. The cumin seed belongs to the group of very old spices whose history of use can be traced back thousands of years. To-day it still is one of the important ingredients in the ever-popular "Indian Curry Powder". The plant is cultivated in its native area, in Cyprus, Lebanon, Morocco, Malta, Turkey, Spain, U.S.S.R., China and, on a small scale, in Central America. Distillation is performed in India, in Europe and in the U.S.A. The fruits are crushed immediately prior to the steam distillation. The problems connected with the distillation of **Cumin Oil **are similar to those encountered in the production of other essential oils from fruits of umbellifer species: - a high content of fatty (fixed) oil which is partly distillable and forms emulsion, - proteins which are decomposed and produce putrid odors, - an essential oil which is partly water-soluble. Cohobation of the distillation waters is necessary. The yield, however, is quite encouraging in the case of Cumin Oil. Cumin Oil is a pale yellow to brownish yellow liquid; it occasionally displays a greenish tint. Dark-colored oils may have been stored in iron containers or under poor conditions. The oil is quite sensitive to daylight, air, moisture and metals as well as to alkali. Its odor is extremely powerful, diffusive, green-spicy, slightly fatty, but at the same time not sharp or pungent, almost soft and mellow. This softness is one of the main features of a true oil, and is very hard to duplicate when making an artificial oil with a similar content of **Cumin**** ****Aldehyde**** **(the main constituent of cumin oil). The synthetic aldehyde has a very sharp odor of cumin type, far from mellow or pleasant. The characteristic odor and flavor of cumin oil is probably due to its minor constituents such as **Dihydrocuminaldehyde **and various monoterpenes. The flavor of cumin oil is spicy-herbaceous, faintly pungent and fatty-green, not pleasant in high concentrations. The suggested use level is 0.20 to 0.50 mg%, and the **Minimum**** ****Perceptible **is 0.02 to 0.05 mg%. A powerful flavor material. As previously noted, a freshly distilled **Cumin Oil **presents a peculiar, putrid odor, recalling sulfides and/or amines on top of its true fragrance. Similar topnotes are encountered in freshly steam distilled fruits of other umbellifers and in black pepper oil (ammoniacal odor), etc. It is conceivable that such odors represents trace amounts of decomposition products from proteins, etc., in the endosperm of the seeds. However, most cumin oils offered in the market do not possess this type of odor. Obviously, such oils have been "treated" somehow, or "doctored up" to eliminate or mask the off-odor. For those who have observed an actual distillation, however, the presence of these typical by-odors is often a valuable criterion in determining whether or not an oil is genuine. **Cumin Oil **is used in perfumes in trace amounts to introduce green-spicy and green-woody top- notes, particularly in the woody-floral perfume types, Oriental bases, mimosa, cassie, violet, etc. It is also used for "special effects" in modern aldehydic fragrances, etc. and for its unusual diffusive power. The oil blends well with lavandin, rosemary, galbanum, oakmoss, bois de rose oil, etc. and it performs well in soap although it may discolor a white soap tablet visibly after a few months of ageing. In flavors, the oil may replace the fruits (except in curry powder), and it is generally used for seasonings, pickles, meat sauces, etc. **Cumin Oil **is very frequently adulterated with or even substituted for by artificial cumin oil, based upon **Cuminaldehyde**, cymene, etc. Only a thorough olfactory and organoleptic analysis will reveal such adulterations to the experienced perfumer flavorist. See also **Cumin Absolute.**