What is comenis seed?

[bjcooper]

I found an old family recipe for chili. The date on it is 1912. It calls for an ingredient called "comenis seed". Google seems completely silent on this, which is crazy. There was literally only one reference to this phrase and it was in an institutional recipe book dated 1922. The recipe was also for chili.


It is so strange that there is no reference to this phrase anywhere. It's like it doesn't really exist. But it was in a printed cookbook, so seems like it did exist. Even if it was banned because it was addictive or poisonous, you'd still think there would be information somewhere.


Any idea what this mystery ingredient is?

 

[Andy M.]

Just a stab in the dark but maybe it's cumin. Is there any cumin listed in the recipe?

 

[bjcooper]

That was my initial thought as well. However, I'm quite certain of the spelling since I found a print book from 1922 on Google that also spells it the same way ("comenis seed").


https://books.google.com/books?id=K...AHoECAEQAQ#v=onepage&q="comenis seed"&f=false

 

[pepperhead212]

Another possibility besides cumin, though this is something that is actually poisonous, in large amounts (ricin), is castor beans, since the species name of the plant is similar - Ricinus communis.

 

[dcSaute]

spelling not exact - but juniper and myrtle are used . . .
https://sheffields.com/seeds-for-sale/Juniperus/communis///////768/Common-Juniper/Common-Juniper
https://www.asklepios-seeds.de/gb/100-seeds-myrtus-communis.html

 

[pepperhead212]

I forgot the species names of those were the same! Much more likely to be used in food than castor, though it's surprising some of the things that are used in food in small amounts, as well as medicinal uses for many of those things.

 

[Kayelle]

Cumin is a spice made from the dried seed of a plant known as Cuminum cyminum, which is a member of the parsley family. Mexicans call cumin "comino"
My guess is they are referring to cumin, with the term "comenis seed". With both the recipes for Chili, it's the only seed that makes sense to me. Maybe both the recipes are from the same person who can't spell cumin?


By the way, welcome to Discuss Cooking and thanks for the interesting subject.
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[taxlady]

We still haven't heard back from the original poster about whether or not cumin is listed separately in those recipes.

 

[jennyema]

Its cumin