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The common English term Black Cumin is usually used for Nigella sativa L. but also, less commonly to Bunium persicum [Boiss.] B. Fedtsch of the Apiaceae family.
Nigella sativa
Nigella sativa (Hebrew: קצח, kezah; Arabic: حبه البركه, habbah elbaraka, literally seeds of blessing, Persian سیاهدانه siyah daneh, Hindi kalonji) is a spice that grows wild in the Mediterranean region and in Western Asia. In English it is also called fennel flower, black caraway, nutmeg flower or Roman coriander. It is also sometimes just referred to as Nigella or black seeds. It belongs to the Ranunculaceae family and is unrelated to common cumin (Cuminum cyminum).
Nigella is an annual herbaceous plant that grows to about a foot high. It has a thin stem, narrow (but not filiform) leaflets, and blue flowers. The seeds (the part used) are contained in an inflated capsule formed from the united follicles.
Nigella has a pungent bitter taste and a faint smell of strawberries. It is used primarily in candies and liquors. In herbal medicine, Nigella has hypertensive, carminative, and anthelminthic properties.
Related species
There are several other species of Nigella which are not used for culinary purposes. For example, the traditional garden annual, Nigella damascena or love-in-a-mist is grown for its flowers but not for seasoning. Love-in-a-mist differs from Nigella sativa in having a lacy involucre or "nest" in which the flower sits, hence the name.
External links for Nigella sativa
Bunium persicum
Dried B. persicum fruits are used as a culinary spice in Northern India, Tajikistan and Iran. Local names for that spice are काला जीरा (kala jeera, meaning "black cumin") in Hindi and as زيره كوهی (zireh kuhi, meaning "wild cumin") in Persian. It is practically unknown outside these areas.
External links for Bunium persicum
- Bunium persicum (http://www-ang.kfunigraz.ac.at/~katzer/engl/Buni_per.html)
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