Carom is very strong, and used in many Indian dishes. Each tiny carom fruit has a huge amount of thymol in it, and this gives it a flavour a bit like thyme, but several times stronger. Using carom in breads is common throughout India.

When used in Indian dishes, it is used in moderation, fried first imparting a smoky flavour, and balances well with cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and other assertive flavours like mustard, cardamom or cumin.