Ajwain is an Indian word for carom seeds

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Other definition:
Ajwain is the Hindi name of Bishop's Weed, a kind of spice where fruit is the commercial part.

Ajwain has originated in Eastern Mediterranean, maybe Egypt and now being cultivated on massive scale in the regions of Persia and India, the usage of ajwain in cuisine and as an ayurvedic remedy is confined to Central Asia and Northern India. However, in the Arabic world and as a spice mixture of Ethiopia ajwain has some popularity.

The most utilized part of Bishop's Weed is the small, caraway like fruits that have the essential oil (2.5 to 5\% in the dried fruits) being dominated by thymol (35 to 60\%); a- pinene, p- cymene, limonene and ?- terpinene as its main constituents.

Ajwain is an aromatic spice with a wondrous flavor. Traditionally, India has been one of the most important sources of Bishop's Weed with Rajasthan and Gujarat as the main producing regions. Roasting or frying in combination with potatoes or fish enhances the strong aroma of Bishop's Weed. Legumes (lentils, beans) are however the most important field of application; in India. In South Indian cuisine (which is predominantly vegetarian), tadka (frying in butter or ghee) of preparations are not only applied to dried legumes but also to green vegetables and boiled rice.

Ajwain is much used as a medical plant in ayurvedic medicine (India) to help against diseases of the digestive tract and fewer.

Ajwain is also known in different languages as :
Trachy Spermum Ami (Latin); ZiniNankhwah (Persian
Kamme Muluki(Arabic)