Nigella Seeds

Nigella sativa or love-in-a-mist, which many cottage gardeners will recognise, is native to the Mediterranean region. The tiny, pungent, black seeds are nutty in flavour with a hint of pepper and poppyseed. They are a familiar ingredient in Persian and Indian cooking, where they are added to spice pastes and blends, breads, salads and rice pilafs. Breads of the Middle East and Turkey are also flavoured with nigella. The seeds are often mistaken for black cumin or onion seeds. Nigella seeds are believed to act as an insect repellent and as a diuretic; ground to a paste, they are used to cure scorpion stings. Available: Indian and Asian food stores.