Carrots with cumin from the South of Spain

Cumin stars in this simple but beautiful tapa

You might think of carrots as produce you can find year-round, because they’re always in the store, and they’re usually great! But did you know carrots DO have a season? They actually have two seasons—right now, and in the fall. Like our other friend, asparagus, they are also so versatile. You can put them in anything! Thinly shaved rainbow ribbons for colorful, crunchy salads, as part of a base for many classic sauces and soups, or adding moisture and sweetness to breads and cakes. But they can also be wonderful when they show up by themselves.

Zanahorias con comino, or carrots with cumin, is a classic tapa in Andalucía, though its origins are Moroccan—featuring warm, savory cumin as the star spice. And did you know that the Spanish word for carrot, zanahoria, actually comes from Arabic?

Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this recipe—each step should be taken with care. You want to get the carrots to a perfect texture, not too crunchy and not too soft, because texture is a big part of taste. 

You also don’t want to skip the step where you toast whole cumin seeds (please don’t use ground cumin for this, I promise you the toasted whole seeds will make a difference!) and grind them with garlic and salt to make the paste. The toasting adds a whole new layer of complex flavor that, tied together with a high-quality Spanish olive oil and sherry vinegar, creates a really amazing tapa that can be a perfect side dish or first course!