Whether baked, grilled, macerated, or simply enjoyed fresh, fruit needs very little to make it more delicious. But the beauty of these natural treasures is that they are also incredible culinary cooperators, and there's a particular spice that can boost the flavor of your favorite fruit. You can trace the truly ancient origins of cumin way back.
It has been showing up in applications for millennia, even making appearances in both the Old and New Testaments, and these seeds were called upon for more than culinary power — in fact, their presence in pyramids suggests they were used for the preservation of human remains. And while we may no longer use them to prepare and protect mummies, when added to your favorite fruits, this little spice brings major flavor. A range of descriptors can be applied to cumin seeds (which are not technically seeds, but also fruit themselves), from bitter to sweet and earthy to nutty, among others.
Cumin's moody and warm qualities are a perfect foil for so many bright, sweet, tart and naturally acidic fruits like citrus, but can complement darker and more concentrated fruit flavors like fig or date, too. Ways to incorporate cumin into your fruit You can pair cumin with fruit in a variety of ways. It can be purchased ground or in seed form (the latter look a lot like smaller caraway seeds, so watch out for confusion).
The powder is extra convenient for blending into a spice mixture like fruit chaat, which you can dust over grapes, apples, and banan.