What is caraway? It’s ‘the fruit of a flowering green shrub, one of the oldest cultivated spices in history.’ So says Dan Nestor in his book Get High Now Without Drugs. Julius Caesar was a fan, as were many other Romans and Greeks. Used for digestion and glowing skin and aiding indigestion, caraway can also be used as a mild sedative.
I’ve tried a few supermarket herbs listed in GHNWD, and so far I’ve felt nothing. But I wanted to give Caraway a shot. Third time’s a charm and all that. I found a pot in a supermarket and waited for the right opportunity.
The opportunity arose Sunday 26th July, with the return of the annual Manchester Day Parade, a celebration of Manchester’s diverse cultures and social groups. Visit Manchester says ‘This year's celebrations feature a special Catalan twist, celebrating Manchester's cultural links with Barcelona, alongside the National Year of Reading. Visitors can enjoy live music, dance, street theatre, pop-up performances and interactive activities throughout the day.’
As you can see from the pictures, there was a heavy Spanish theme to the day’s proceedings, which started around 1pm in St Peter’s Square near the Central Library. Giant papier maché models of people and animals, dancers of several disciplines, a guy dressed as a fish staring into my very soul and several big fuck-off inflatable dragons contributed to the cavalcade of weirdness, which was made weirder when I started to casually chug down this Tesco pot of caraway seeds.
I swallowed maybe a teaspoon’s worth at a time, over a couple of hours. I’d maybe swallowed half the 40g pot. By around 2pm I started to feel slightly dizzy, then a bit sick. But at least I felt something.
I’ve still got half the pot, so perhaps I’ll try again at another fittingly bizarre event, maybe a Bongo’s Bingo night or some kind of celebrity meet.
