Most people know what caraway "seed" is, at least in a peripheral sort of way. Anyone who has made their own Caraway Rye Bread, certainly knows what they are, and anyone who loves their sauerkraut with caraway seeds as well.
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| Caraway |
And then you come upon those who truly don't know that caraway seeds are that flavor in Caraway Rye Breads, and also that many people claim they don't like "rye bread" because of that "Rye Flavor."
I have written about our friend Rich. He is an old school chum of my husband's and now my friend as well. He has interesting ideas about foods, flavors and such, and we have a great time discussing possible things to cook, together or on our own. He's given me many ideas, some of which have made it into this blog, over the years. Grilled Portobellas 'Richard' was the first we collaborated on, and these are an absolute must-try!!! He hunts pheasants each year, so any pheasant recipe in my blog was made with one he'd shot and cleaned. Delicious, all, whether as soup or casserole.
I have written about our friend Rich. He is an old school chum of my husband's and now my friend as well. He has interesting ideas about foods, flavors and such, and we have a great time discussing possible things to cook, together or on our own. He's given me many ideas, some of which have made it into this blog, over the years. Grilled Portobellas 'Richard' was the first we collaborated on, and these are an absolute must-try!!! He hunts pheasants each year, so any pheasant recipe in my blog was made with one he'd shot and cleaned. Delicious, all, whether as soup or casserole.
One day, chatting over the last of our morning coffee, we talked of rye bread. Rich said that some places had really good rye bread, while others did not. I asked him what, for him, constituted a "really good rye bread"? He replied that it needed to have a good, strong "rye" flavor in a nice light, soft but crusty loaf.
And We Come to the Ambiguity
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| 100% Sourdough Rye Bread, dense and chewy, with no Caraway seeds |
Having made many breads over the years, I know that most commercial "rye" breads actually have little rye in them, because rye flour tends to produce an extremely dense bread if used alone. Even if the combination is 50-50 with white bread flour, which most commercial breads do not have unless they are labeled as such because of the loaf's density. Which raised the question:
And if most commercial breads, even in Deli restaurants, have little of actual rye flour in them, what is this "good strong rye flavor" Rich was describing?
He was quite skeptical about this notion of mine. As it happened, I had just bought a book called The Rye Baker by Stanley Ginsberg, and I set about making a few different breads using 100% rye flour, with NO CARAWAY. Guess what? Rich didn't like them at all. It was the caraway seeds in a mostly white bread flour loaf that constituted "rye flavor," for him.
"How would one get a good strong rye flavor in a nice light, soft but crusty loaf?"
And if most commercial breads, even in Deli restaurants, have little of actual rye flour in them, what is this "good strong rye flavor" Rich was describing?
The AHA! Moment
I realized it must be the caraway seeds Rich was confusing with "rye" flavor.He was quite skeptical about this notion of mine. As it happened, I had just bought a book called The Rye Baker by Stanley Ginsberg, and I set about making a few different breads using 100% rye flour, with NO CARAWAY. Guess what? Rich didn't like them at all. It was the caraway seeds in a mostly white bread flour loaf that constituted "rye flavor," for him.
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| Noodles with Cabbage & Caraway |
Back to Caraway
Caraway "seeds" are actually fruits (achenes), along with many other similar looking "seeds," like dill, anise, cumin, fennel and others. Caraway belongs to the family Apiaceae, along with vegetables like celery and carrot. Here in the U.S., caraway is most often associated with rye breads. For the sake of ease of understanding, I will continue to call these "caraway seeds."So, what else are caraway seeds good for? Caraway seeds are used in many applications all over Europe, such as flavoring cheeses such as Tilsit or Havarti, or in various alcoholic liquors and liqueurs such as Aquavit and Kummel. It is often added to Polish Bigos Soup and Russian Borsht. And of course, sauerkraut. It is also a flavor component of Harissa, that potent north African spice paste.
Caraway packs quite a punch for such small seeds. If you are not crazy about the flavor of caraway, then it may be hard to find a reason to use them. But if you do like the flavor of most commercial rye breads with their caraway seeds inside, then there may be other things you might find to benefit from the addition of some of these very aromatic seeds. Try adding them to potato salad or coleslaw, as they pair beautifully with potato and/or cabbage dishes. I use them in Noodles with Cabbage & Caraway. Mix caraway into cheese dips or cheese balls. Add caraway to beef goulash or stews with kielbasa to heighten flavor. Add the seeds to pork dishes. Put caraway into pickled carrots or leek soup. In Britain, caraway seeds are the main flavor ingredient for something called "seed cake." Add the seeds to savory scone or biscuit recipes.
Caraway, along with fennel and cumin, aid digestion, which is why they are often used in spiced dishes; think sausages or other spicy or less easy to digest meals. Try out caraway in something other than rye bread!
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