What Is Black Nigella?

Description

• The nigella plant is a member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It is a low-growing herb, reaching heights of around 2 feet. It bears wispy, feathery leaves similar in appearance to those of fennel. From June to September, white or pale blue star-shaped flowers appear amid the lacy foliage. These flowers give way to spiky capsules containing the plant's prized seeds.

Culinary Use

• Nigella seeds have little scent, yet when crushed they emit a smoky, spicy, oreganolike, slightly bitter flavor. In French cuisine, they are sometimes employed as an exotic substitute for black pepper. They are commonly added to Indian dishes and condiments such as naan, korma, dhal, chutney and braised lamb. Most famously, nigella seeds are a component of the panch phoron spice mixture. In Middle Eastern cooking, nigella seeds are traditionally added to bread dough and other savory dishes. These seeds are also loved by Russian cooks.

Historical Medicinal Use

• Nigella seeds have been used for medicinal as well as culinary uses since antiquity. In his book "Indian Herbal Remedies," author C. P. Khare reports the traditional Ayurvedic use of this seed as a carminative (a preventative against gas and bloating), a diuretic (promoter of urination), an emmenagogue (promoter of menstruation) and a galactagogue (promoter of lactation). Khare notes the use of nigella seed in India for stomach ailments, skin conditions and fevers. In "A Modern Herbal," herbalist Maud Grieve also discusses the use of nigella seeds for increasing milk supply, as well as an emmenagogue. Grieve also mentions this seed's use as an insect repellent.

  Elizabeth M. Williamson notes in her book "Major Herbs of Ayurveda" that the ingestion of nigella seeds have been shown to decrease fertility in male rats. Williamson also attributes antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties to these seeds.

Modern Research

• In 2003, researchers at the Department of Veterinary Medicine at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia conducted a study to investigate the pharmacological properties of nigella seed. They concluded that the seeds and the oils derived from them possess anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, antimicrobial and antineoplastic properties, possibly owing to the presence of the chemical compound thymoquinone. Furthermore, the seeds were found to exhibit a very low degree of toxicity.