Parts Used
Seeds with essential oil

Properties
Digestive aid, carminative, antispasmodic

Common Uses
Crush seeds and steep in hot water for tea. Use the seeds whole or ground in flavoring foods.

Locating and Handling
Seeds can be found in the grocery store spice area. Plants are easily grown from seed outdoors.

Caution
Oil may irritate mucuous membranes

Origin
Native to Middle East, Asia, and Europe. Medicinal use recorded as early as 1500 B.C.

Early Herbal Notes "MEDICAL VIRTUE-- The caraway is a pleasant, hot, aromatic seed, abounding with an essential oil, and containing gummy and resinous parts. Spirits draw a tincture that has the taste, but not a very strong flavour; and water extracts a tincture that has a strong flavour, and but a weak taste. They are principally used as stomachic and carminative; and are frequently mixed with infusions of senna, to correct its griping quality."