Caraway Seeds

Food · Vegetable · Food, Typed Supps

The seed behind rye bread and goulash, and one of the highest-fibre things in this database by weight.

Stage by stage

Intake (Aromatic oils released): Crushing the seed releases carvone and limonene, its two main aromatic compounds.
Stomach (Digested with the meal): It moves through digestion alongside the rest of the food.
Small intestine (Partial absorption): The volatile oils are partly absorbed; the insoluble fibre continues to the colon intact.
Bloodstream (Metabolized): Absorbed compounds are metabolized; most of what is eaten is excreted rather than stored.

Timing

Cooked into the dish from early on, with the onions.

Time to effect

Minutes to hours: Any felt digestive effect is short-term rather than cumulative.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Low-FODMAP.

Satiety

Not scored: the satiety index is measured on 240 kcal servings, and nobody eats a 240 kcal serving of this. The question does not apply rather than the answer being unknown.

Environmental footprint

0.5 kg CO2e and 108 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Other vegetables" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Cheap — roughly £2.5 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 333
Protein: 19.8g
Carbohydrate: 49.9g
of which sugars: 0.6g
Fat: 14.6g
of which saturated: 0.6g
Fibre: 38g
Sodium: 17mg

Food vs. supplement

At 38% fibre, caraway looks like a fibre food. A teaspoon is about 2g, so roughly 0.8g of fibre — the seed is a seasoning, and the trial evidence concerns concentrated oil preparations.

Kitchen tip

Toast and crush lightly before use — whole seeds in a long braise never really release their flavour.

Common myth

"Caraway is a high-fibre food." In reality: By weight, unarguably — 38g per 100g. By serving, a teaspoon contributes under a gram against a 30g daily target.