Cumin, Black Cumin and Caraway for Buyers: Species, Market Names, HS Code and Labels

Put the botanical name on every cumin specification: in the official texts read for this guide, the words cumin, black cumin and caraway point to plants of different genera, and some names point to more than one plant. The US list of spices in 21 CFR 182.10 prints "Cuminum cyminum L." against "Cumin (cummin)" and "Nigella sativa L." against both "Cumin, black (black caraway)" and "Caraway, black (black cumin)" (eCFR version of 7 October 2026). Malaysia's Food Regulations 1985 define cumin as "dried fruit of the plant Cuminum cyminum" and cumin black as "the dried seed of the plant Nigella sativa" (English text updated until August 2026). This guide covers species, shared names, names in five markets, forms, trade codes and standards, ingredient lists and supplier questions.

Which Species Do Official Texts Call Cumin?

Every text read that names a species for cumin names Cuminum cyminum. Malaysia's regulation 306 says "Cumin shall be dried fruit of the plant Cuminum cyminum." Indonesia's BPOM Regulation 13 of 2023 defines jintan putih, cumin, as a spice product obtained from the dried fruit of the plant Cuminum cyminum (our translation). 21 CFR 182.10 gives "Cuminum cyminum L.". Thailand's Royal Institute Dictionary (B.E. 2554 edition, Office of the Royal Society), a national language reference, defines เทียนขาว as the dried mature fruit of Cuminum cyminum L., usable as a spice, and says it is also called ยี่หร่า (our translation).

An information document of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH), a layout template for its standards rather than a standard, lists "Cumin (Green /White Cumin)" as "Cuminum cyminum Wall." in its grouping of spices and "Cumin, Brown (Jerra, cumin)" as "Cuminum cyminum L." in its list by generic names, author citations as printed.

What Does Black Cumin Mean in These Texts?

Every text read that defines black cumin names Nigella sativa, a different genus from cumin. Malaysia's regulation 308 says "Cumin black shall be the dried seed of the plant Nigella sativa." BPOM defines jintan hitam as a spice product obtained from the seeds of Nigella sativa, cleaned and dried (our translation). The Royal Institute Dictionary defines เทียนดำ as the dried mature seed of Nigella sativa L., family Ranunculaceae, while it places cumin in the family Umbelliferae (our translation).

The Codex template adds a second species. Under "Black cumin", its list by generic names prints "Any of the below species", namely "Russian Caraway" and "Black Caraway", both "Nigella sativa L.", and "Damas black cumin", "Nigella damascena L.".

Note the part named. Malaysia defines cumin as a dried fruit, and black cumin and caraway as a dried seed.

Which Plant Does Black Caraway Name?

It depends on the text. 21 CFR 182.10 prints "Caraway, black (black cumin)" for "Nigella sativa L.". The Codex template's grouping of spices prints "Black caraway" twice, for "Bunium persicum B.Fedtsch." and for "Carum bulbocastanum W.D.J.Koch", and its generic list keeps a separate "Black caraway" row for "Bunium persicum B.Fedtsch.". ISO 5561:1990 is titled "Black caraway and blond caraway (Carum carvi Linnaeus), whole", and China's GB/T 45302-2025 carries the English title "Black caraway and blond caraway", though its catalogue entry gives no botanical name.

So black caraway can mean Nigella sativa, Bunium persicum, Carum bulbocastanum or, in the ISO title, a type of Carum carvi, depending on which text a supplier follows. For caraway itself, Malaysia's regulation 288 says "Caraway seed shall be the dried seed of the plant Carum carvi.", and 21 CFR 182.10 prints "Carum carvi L.". The Codex template prints "Carum carvi L." in its grouping of spices and "Carumcarvi L." in its generic list. None of the texts read calls Bunium persicum black cumin.

What Are These Seeds Called in Each Market?

Malaysia. The Malay text of the Food Regulations 1985 (header "Kemaskini sehingga Ogos 2026") heads the cumin regulations "Jintan putih." and "Jintan hitam.", the caraway regulation "Jintan." and the fennel regulation "Adas pedas.". Two neighbouring headings use similar words for other plants: "Jintan manis." heads aniseed, defined in English as "the dried, ripe fruit of the plant Pimpinella anisum", and "Adas manis." heads dill seed, Anethum graveolens.

Indonesia. BPOM's headings are "Jintan Putih, Cumin" for Cuminum cyminum, "Jintan Hitam" for Nigella sativa and "Jintan/Caraway" for Carum carvi. Its entry headed "Adas, Adas Pedas, Fennel, Jinten Manis" defines a spice product obtained from the dried, ripe fruit of Foeniculum vulgare or Foeniculum officinale, while "Jintan Manis" defines a spice product obtained from the ripe fruit of Pimpinella anisum that has been dried (our translation). Its dill entry lists "adas manis" among its names.

Thailand. In the Royal Institute Dictionary, ยี่หร่า refers to เทียนขาว, cumin; เทียนตากบ names the dried mature fruit of Carum carvi L.; เทียนแกลบ names the dried mature fruit of Foeniculum vulgare Mill.; and ยี่หร่าหวาน refers to เทียนข้าวเปลือก, the dried mature fruit of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. var. dulce Batt. et Trab. (our translation). The dictionary is a national language reference, not a food regulation.

China. The national standards information platform supervised by China's market regulation and standardisation administrations (our translation) lists GB/T 22267-2017 as 孜然, "Cumin", and GB/T 45302-2025 as 黑色葛缕子和金色葛缕子, "Black caraway and blond caraway".

Australia and New Zealand. Schedule 22 of the Food Standards Code (compilation No. 5, in force on 30 April 2026) lists "Caraway seed", "Cumin seed" and "Fennel seed" in the class "Spices, seeds". The schedule has no entry for black cumin, black caraway or nigella.

On these texts, jintan alone means caraway in both Malaysia and Indonesia, jintan manis names aniseed in both, and BPOM's fennel heading includes the spelling jinten manis.

Which Forms Do the Texts Describe?

Whole and ground. Malaysia defines cumin powder as "the powder obtained by grinding the dried fruit of Cuminum cyminum", cumin black powder as "the powder obtained by grinding the clean, dried seed of Nigella sativa" and caraway powder as "the powder obtained from the clean, dried seed of Carum carvi"; regulation 286 adds that "Spice may be dried or ground or both". BPOM defines ground jintan putih as a powder obtained by grinding dried Cuminum cyminum seeds, ground jintan hitam as a powder obtained by grinding clean dried Nigella sativa seeds, and ground jintan as a spice product obtained from clean, dried and ground Carum carvi seeds, and says spices may be whole, sliced, powder or paste (our translation).

The US definition of spice in 21 CFR 101.22(a)(2) includes the phrase "whole, broken, or ground form", among other conditions, and its examples include "Caraway seed", "Cumin seed" and "Fennel seed". Singapore's Food Regulations, regulation 213, describe spices "(whether whole, partly ground or in powder form)" among other conditions (current version as at 12 October 2026).

How Are These Seeds Classified for Trade and Standards?

Trade classification. In the 2022 edition of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) HS nomenclature, heading 09.09 reads "Seeds of anise, badian, fennel, coriander, cumin or caraway; juniper berries." Under "Seeds of cumin", subheading 0909.31 is "Neither crushed nor ground" and 0909.32 is "Crushed or ground". Caraway and fennel share 0909.61 and 0909.62, under "Seeds of anise, badian, caraway or fennel; juniper berries". The heading text does not name black cumin, black caraway or nigella. National tariff schedules and the HS Explanatory Notes were not checked, so this guide gives no code for Nigella sativa.

International standards. ISO 6465:2009 is the ISO specification for "Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.)", and ISO 5561:1990 the specification for black and blond caraway, whole. As read on 12 October 2026, the catalogue entries published by Albania's national standards body show ISO 6465:2009 published on 23 June 2009 and confirmed on 9 December 2025, and ISO 5561:1990 published on 23 August 1990 and confirmed on 15 October 2024, both with the status "Published", and ISO 6465:1984 and ISO 5561:1981 as "WITHDRAWN". We did not read either standard.

Chinese national standards. As shown on 12 October 2026, the Chinese platform lists GB/T 22267-2017, published on 1 November 2017 and implemented from 1 May 2018, and GB/T 45302-2025, published on 28 February 2025 and implemented from 1 September 2025, as current, and notes that each adopts a standard of an international or foreign organisation (our translation). We did not read these texts.

How Can These Seeds Appear on an Ingredient List?

In the United States, 21 CFR 101.22(h)(1) says spice "may be declared as “spice”" in the statement of ingredients. In Australia and New Zealand, Standard 1.2.4 (compilation No. 2, in force on 2 September 2025) says that, subject to Division 3 of Standard 1.2.3, a statement of ingredients must identify each ingredient other than offal by a name by which it is commonly known, a name that describes its true nature, or "a generic name for the ingredient that is specified in Schedule 10, in accordance with any conditions specified in that Schedule". Schedule 10 (compilation No. 4, in force on 25 February 2021) lists "spices" as a generic name with no condition for use entered.

In Singapore, regulation 5(4)(b)(i) of the Food Regulations defines the appropriate designation on an ingredient list as a specific name or description indicating the true nature of the ingredient "except as provided in the First Schedule". The First Schedule lists "Any spice or mixture of spices or spice extracts not exceeding 2% by weight, either singly or in combination in the food" against "Spice, spices or mixed spices as applicable".

In Malaysia, regulation 11(1) applies to every package containing food for sale, unless otherwise provided in the Regulations, and paragraph (e) requires, for food of two or more ingredients other than water, food additives and added nutrient, the appropriate designation of each ingredient in descending order of proportion by weight and, wherever required by the Regulations, a declaration of the proportion of that ingredient. Under regulation 2, the appropriate designation must be a specific, not a generic, name or description that indicates the true nature of the food to the prospective purchaser.

Because the US, Australian and New Zealand, and Singapore provisions allow a category name within their stated conditions, a finished-product label might not name cumin, black cumin or caraway at all. Ask for the botanical name on the specification instead.

What Should You Ask a Cumin Supplier?

• Botanical name. Ask for the Latin name on the specification and on each lot's certificate of analysis: Cuminum cyminum for cumin, Nigella sativa for black cumin as Malaysia and BPOM define it, Carum carvi for caraway. A local name alone is not enough: jintan names caraway, not cumin, in the Malaysian and Indonesian texts, jintan manis names aniseed, BPOM includes "Jinten Manis" in its fennel heading, and black caraway names different plants in different texts.
• Which definition. Ask which text the lot is sold against, for example Malaysia's regulation 306 or 308, or BPOM's jintan putih or jintan hitam entry.
• Form. Ask whether the lot is whole or ground, and check that the description matches the definition cited, such as cumin powder under Malaysia's regulation 307.
• Trade code. Ask for the HS subheading on the shipping documents: 0909.31 for cumin seed neither crushed nor ground, 0909.32 crushed or ground. For black cumin, ask which subheading the supplier uses and on what authority, since heading 09.09 does not name it.
• Standards cited. If a specification cites ISO 6465, ISO 5561, GB/T 22267 or GB/T 45302, ask for the edition. For ISO 5561, check the lot against Carum carvi, the species in the catalogue title; for GB/T 45302, ask which species the specification covers, since the catalogue entry read gives no botanical name.

What Is Jintan Putih?

Jintan putih is the Malay heading of regulation 306 of Malaysia's Food Regulations 1985, where the English text says cumin and defines it as "dried fruit of the plant Cuminum cyminum". BPOM Regulation 13 of 2023 uses the heading "Jintan Putih, Cumin" and defines it as a spice product obtained from the dried fruit of Cuminum cyminum (our translation).

Is Black Cumin the Same as Cumin?

No, not in the texts read. Black cumin is Nigella sativa in 21 CFR 182.10, in Malaysia's regulation 308 and in BPOM's jintan hitam entry, while cumin is Cuminum cyminum. The Royal Institute Dictionary places the two plants in different families, Ranunculaceae and Umbelliferae (our translation).

Which HS Code Covers Cumin Seed?

In the 2022 edition of the WCO HS nomenclature, cumin seed falls under heading 09.09, with subheading 0909.31 for "Neither crushed nor ground" and 0909.32 for "Crushed or ground". National tariff schedules were not checked.

Does Jintan Manis Mean Fennel?

Not under that spelling in the texts read. Malaysia's Malay text uses "Jintan manis." for aniseed, Pimpinella anisum, and "Adas pedas." for fennel, and BPOM's entry headed "Jintan Manis" is also Pimpinella anisum. BPOM's fennel heading, for Foeniculum vulgare or Foeniculum officinale, includes the different spelling "Jinten Manis" (our translation of the definitions). Ask for the botanical name.