DESCRIPTION

Nigella is a hardy annual native to western Asia, southern Europe, and the Middle East; it is related to a decorative plant that is often known as “love in a mist.” The Romans used nigella seeds in the kitchen, but the spice was better known in ancient Asia for its medicinal properties. Today, nigella is primarily grown in India; it is cultivated to a lesser degree in northern Africa and parts of
the Middle East. Its name can be a source of confusion in India, where it is sometimes referred to as black onion or black caraway seed, though it is related to neither; the confusion can also extend to the spice market, where either of those seeds, or sometimes even black sesame seeds, may be identified as nigella.