Ingredient profile
Jeera
Cuminum cyminum
Cumin seed, a kitchen spice traditionally used to support digestion.
- Hindi
- जीरा
- Sanskrit
- Jiraka
- Family
- Apiaceae
- Part used
- seed
Traditional use
Jeera, or cumin, is a small flowering herb whose elongated, ridged seeds are among the most widely used spices in home cooking.
In Ayurvedic tradition
Ayurveda uses cumin to kindle agni, the digestive fire, and to support comfortable digestion. Its Sanskrit name Jiraka is often read as “that which aids digestion”.
Ayurvedic properties
- Rasa (taste): Pungent
- Guna (qualities): Light, dry
- Virya (potency): Heating
- Vipaka (post-digestive effect): Pungent
- Effect on the doshas: Balances kapha and vata
How it is traditionally taken
Used in cooking, roasted and powdered, as jeera water, or in digestive formulations.
Safety notes
Commonly used as a food spice; use concentrated forms as directed. Use as directed on the product label. This profile is for general education and is not medical advice.
References
- Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (monograph: Jiraka) pharmacopoeia