These little seeds have a strong earthy flavor that's essential to Latin Indian and some middle eastern cooking. Besides using them in recipes try sprinkling freshly toasted seeds as a lovely garnish on the black bean carrot or squash soup. Cumin with its potent unique flavor is a crucial ingredient in cuisines in several parts of the world. It is essential in Indian curries and is commonly roasted before being ground to give it a lovely nutty toasted taste. The somewhat bitter earthy flavor is crucial to good chili. Nearly all Mexican bean and meat recipes call for generous amounts of cumin called Comino in Mexican recipes) as do foods of various other Latin American countries. Swiss and Dutch cheesemakers use whole cumin seed to flavor some cheeses and several European countries use it to flavor their bread.