BOTANICAL NAME: ANETHUM GRAVEOLUNS L.
FAMILY NAME: APIACEAE
Dill Seeds is the dried fruit of an annual herb of the parsley family. It has a distinctive but mild caraway-like flavor. A winter crop, dill requires a well-drained, sandy soil with full exposure to sunlight. The sub tropical and temperate regions of India, particularly the northern parts, produce high quality dill seeds.
The quality is enhanced by the farmer resorting to organic cultivation Dill seeds are used as a spice, and its fresh leaves, dill, and its dried leaves, dill weed, are used as herbs Dill seeds also make useful addition to cold, flu and cough remedies. Dill oil can be extracted from the leaves, stems and seeds of the plant. It is well known as the prime flavoring ingredient in dill pickles and other pickled vegetables, but it is also popular for flavoring vinegars.
It is an ingredient in many Scandinavian and German fish and seafood dishes and sauces, including gravlax, and is used in soups with a variety of origins, including borscht. Dill is used as a garnish in the Baltic states, in onion dill bread, and in dips and salad dressings, including those used for potato salad.