Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) seeds are the dried seed pod of a flowering plant in the parsley family that is native to the eastern Mediterranean and India. Cumin has been used as a spice since ancient times, with the ancient Greeks treating it much like peppercorns. It figures heavily into many world cuisines, ranging from Indian to Moroccan, and especially Mexican.
Cumin's warm, radiant aroma is mainly 4-isopropylbenzaldehyde. It smells earthy, like a cross between coriander and white pepper, but much darker in profile.
In cocktails, cumin's interesting flavor profile can link lightly aged spirits such as [ingredient=reposado-tequila Reposado Tequila] with liqueurs and citrus.