Listing description
Nigella
sativa (black-cumin,[2] also known as nigella or kalonji)
is an annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to south and southwest Asia
Detailed description
Nigella sativa grows to 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) tall, with
finely divided, linear (but not thread-like) leaves. The flowers are
delicate, and usually coloured pale blue and white, with five to ten petals.The black cumin fruit is a large and inflated capsule composed of three to seven united follicles, each containing numerous seeds which are used as spice, sometimes as a replacement for original black cumin (Bunium bulbocastanum).
Etymology
The scientific name is a derivative of Latin niger
(black).
Common
names
In English, Nigella
sativa seed is variously called kalonji (from Hindi),[4] fennel
flower,[5] nutmeg
flower,[5] black
caraway,[5]
and Roman coriander.Synonymously,
it may be referred to as thymoquinone
after its principal extract under preliminary research for several possible
effects in humans.[4]Blackseed and black caraway may also refer to Bunium persicum.[6]
Culinary Uses
The seeds of Nigella sativa
are used as a spice in Indian and Middle
Eastern cuisines. The black seeds
taste like a combination of onions, black pepper and oregano. They have a
pungent bitter taste and smell.[4]The dry-roasted nigella seeds flavor curries, vegetables and pulses. It can be used as a "pepper" in recipes with pod fruit, vegetables, salads and poultry. In some cultures, the black seeds are used to flavour bread products. It is also used as part of the spice mixture panch phoron (meaning a mixture of five spices) and by itself in many recipes in Bengali cuisine and most recognizably in naan bread.[7] Nigella is also used in Armenian string cheese, a braided string cheese called majdouleh or majdouli in the Middle East.
History
According to Zohary and Hopf, archaeological
evidence about the earliest cultivation of N. sativa "is still
scanty", but they report supposed N. sativa seeds have been
found in several sites from ancient Egypt,
including Tutankhamun's tomb.[8]
Although its exact role in Egyptian culture is unknown, it is known that items
entombed with a pharaoh were carefully selected to assist
him in the afterlife.The earliest written reference to N. sativa is thought to be in the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament, where the reaping of nigella and wheat is contrasted (Isaiah 28: 25, 27). Easton's Bible dictionary states the Hebrew word ketsah refers to N. sativa without doubt (although not all translations are in agreement). According to Zohary and Hopf, N. sativa was another traditional condiment of the Old World during classical times, and its black seeds were extensively used to flavor food.[8]
Seeds were found in a Hittite flask in Turkey from the second millennium BCE.[9]
Chemistry
Nigella sativa oil contains conjugated
linoleic (18:2) acid, thymoquinone,
nigellone (dithymoquinone),[10]
melanthin, nigilline, damascenine,
and trans-anethole.In 2010, Nestlé filed a patent application for use of extracted thymoquinone from N. sativa as a food allergy treatment.[11] Nestlé states that the patent would cover "the specific way that thymoquinone - a compound that can be extracted from the seed of the fennel flower - interacts with opioid receptors in the body and helps to reduce allergic reactions to food".
Preliminary human
research
Mainly for its seed oil
extract, thymoquinone, N. sativa is under research for its potential
to affect human diseases,[14]
such as cancer, metabolic syndrome or gastrointestinal
disorders, although studies to date
remain insufficient to understand its potential for clinical efficacy.
PRICE
$102/KG OR
$46.36/IB
For more information:
mobile: +2348039721941
contact person: emeaba uche
e-mail: emeabau@yahoo.com
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