The smell of cumin is quite pronounced, strong and heavy. Cumin seeds have a strong, bitter taste. Its pungent flavor can persist for a long time.

Cumin is native to Egypt and has been cultivated in the Middle East, India, and China and Mediterranean countries for millennia. Cumin has played an important role as a food and medicine and has been a cultural symbol with varied attributes. Today and history also has experienced the flavor of cumin during the Roman Empire and in the ancient India where cumin has its mention as the sugandhan "well-smelling".