The plant is native to Central Europe, the Mediterranean regions and Asia, and is cultivated worldwide. In most cases, the drug comes from cultures in Poland, East Germany, Holland and Egypt. The dried, ripe fruits (Carvi fructus) and the essential oil (Carvi aetheroleum) are used as the drug.
Caraway: typical characteristics of the plant.
Caraway is a biennial to perennial plant up to 1 m high with 2-3-pinnate leaves. It grows preferentially on meadowsides and roadsides. Small white to faintly rose-colored flowers are in 8-16-rayed umbels, the sheath is usually absent.
The plant bears small dry, dark brown fruits. These plant parts, representing the actual caraway, are sometimes mistakenly called seeds.
Caraway: medicinally effective fruits
The drug contains the whole ripe and dried split fruits. These are about 3-6 mm long and 1 mm thick, grayish brown to dark brown in color, and curved in shape like a crescent and pointed on both sides.
The cross-section of the fruit often looks like the shape of a regular pentagon. With good magnification, the oil ducts can also be seen.
Harvesting usually occurs just before the fruits are fully ripe, and the essential oil content is highest then.
Smell and taste of caraway
Caraway exudes a very characteristic aromatic odor. The taste of caraway is very spicy.
