{"id":32762,"title":"Black cumin, what is it?","modified":"2025-06-06T13:00:07+02:00","plain":"Black cumin, or nigella, is traditionally used as a spice in Indian, Middle Eastern and North African cuisines, where its intense flavours and crunch are particularly interesting in the preparation of curries, soups, stews, and much more\u2026!a0\n\n\n\nBlack cumin, what is it?\n\n\n\nBlack cumin, also known as Nigella, is originally an herbaceous plant that comes straight to us from Southwest Asia. The spice appears as a tiny black seed, coming directly from the flowering plant botanically known as \u201cNigella sativa\u201d. \n\n\n\nThe condiment is sometimes referred to by other names, such as \u201cblack onion seeds\u201d or \u201cblack sesame seeds\u201d, which can be quite confusing for users since it has nothing to do with the onion or sesame families. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFurthermore, the spice is not even related to cumin as such; it is a more complex ingredient that will enhance the taste of your dishes by giving them bitter, intense aromas. There's a reason it has been used for thousands of years on the Asian continent!\n\n\n\nOrigin of black cumin\n\n\n\nBlack cumin is a Eurasian spice. It is mainly cultivated from the Mediterranean basin to the Middle East; it can even be found in Spain! You will mainly find it in countries with a warm, sunny climate. This plant does not tolerate frost. \n\n\n\nWhat does black cumin taste like?\n\n\n\nBlack cumin seeds have a powerful aroma, with slightly bitter and spicy flavours and notes of pepper, oregano and onion. On the nose, they inevitably release a fresh, light scent, notably thanks to their citrusy flavours\u2026 \n\n\n\nWhich makes black cumin an excellent asset for a great majority of recipes, both savoury and sweet! In Indian and Middle Eastern cooking, it is often used in meat and vegetable dishes, curries, stews, marinades, bread and even cheese.a0\n\n\n\nCumin and black cumin, what's the difference?\n\n\n\nDespite what one might think, cumin and black cumin are two completely different spices; in terms of appearance, use and flavour alike. Cumin is an elongated brown-greenish seed whereas black cumin is a black seed. \n\n\n\nAs for taste, cumin has a more earthy flavour topped with a citrus note. Black cumin, on the other hand, is more intense and more bitter than regular cumin, which will determine how you use it. In short, they are polar opposites\u2014it\u2019s impossible to confuse them!\n\n\n\nHow to use black cumin?\n\n\n\nWith its strong aroma, black cumin is a versatile spice that can accompany a large number of dishes, starting with curries, stews, soups, marinades, sauces, salads, lentil dishes and saut\u00e9ed vegetables (especially root vegetables)\u2026 It\u2019s the perfect time to try an authentic Japanese curry! \n\n\n\nBlack cumin pairs well with homemade Japanese curry powder\n\n\n\nBlack cumin is also very effective sprinkled over bread, bagels, biscuits or naan, to stay in the Asian theme\u2026 Texture and flavour will definitely be there.a0\n\n\n\nJust like pepper, you can use black cumin seeds whole or crushed, according to your taste. \n\n\n\nHow to replace black cumin?\n\n\n\nThere are several ways to replace black cumin seeds if you don\u2019t have any on hand. Celery seeds, oregano, cumin seeds and black sesame seeds, for example, make good substitutes. \n\n\n\nEach of these ingredients will recall the more herbaceous, citrusy or nutty notes that you can indeed find in black cumin seeds. The flavours will certainly be somewhat different, but just as effective.a0\n\n\n\nWhere can you find black cumin?\n\n\n\nIt is still tricky to find this kind of product in supermarkets because they very rarely stock it. Black cumin seeds are easier to find in specialised shops, stores selling Asian products or online. \n\n\n\nHow to store black cumin?\n\n\n\nLike all spices, black cumin seeds should be stored in an airtight container away from heat and humidity. This way you can easily keep them for several months. ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32762","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32762"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32762\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23479"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}