Rasayana for Childcare

Although most people tend to refer to this Rasayana
as Carom or Ajwain seeds these pale brown, tiny
oval “seeds” are really the fruit pods of the Carom
plant. They are also sometimes confused with Caraway
and Cumin seeds. However, Ajwain tends to be much
smaller in size than Caraway and Cumin seeds, and, in
taste it is slightly bitter and pungent.
Ajwain is rich in thymol, which makes it very aromatic.
The aroma is similar to the strong, sharp, clean
smell of Thyme. The latter also contains thymol and
that accounts for the similarity. The smell is so distinctive
and potent that it inspired the ancient Greeks to
have the saying “smelling like thyme”, which stood to
mean courageous and strong. They also used to burn
thyme for the smell to chase insects from the house.
In India, Ajwain is a known ingredient in cupboard liners
or sachets, probably for the same reason, that its
strong smell has an insect repellent effect.
Ajwain is believed to release gastric juices in the
stomach that are carminative and aid digestion. This is
the reason why it is so often used in cooking dishes that
are heavy or fried or otherwise difficult to digest. It is
often added to buttermilk to make a delicious drink. It
is added in some curries that are known to cause flatulence
thus anticipating and preventing the problem! It
is very common in North India to add this to parantha
or poori dough. In Egyptian, Persian, Arabian and Mediterranean
cuisines it is common to sprinkle a little of
these fruit pods over different breads for flavour and as
a digestive aid.
a
Native American wildflowers
(bee balms Monarda fistulosa and
Monarda didyma) are also known
as sources of thymol and Native
Americans are said to have used
poultices of these plants for skin
infections and minor wounds. Ajwain
poultices are similarly used in India
88