Black cumin is the oldest plant ever used by humans. In the East, it is known as a panacea for all ailments. Ayurveda pioneered the use of black cumin seeds as a spice. Today, black cumin seeds, or nigella, also serve as an exquisite seasoning for a wide variety of dishes.
Where does black cumin grow, its types
Black cumin is originally of Asian origin. Now it is grown mainly in the Middle East, India, Turkey, North America, some European countries, and New Zealand. In Muslim countries, treatment with black cumin is still practiced. There it is customary to take it for almost any illness. On the territory of Russia, it is not sown en masse, because here it often grows like a weed, in the wild, although, ironically, they call it a sowing blackberry. The plant is called nigella because of the type of seeds: they are really very black, small, resemble teardrops in shape.
Not all types of black cumin are used as a condiment. Many plants are used as decorative ones, some have a pronounced healing effect. Damascus and sowing nigella give a valuable spice.
The taste of nigella grains is rather unusual: they are simultaneously tart and slightly pungent, sweet and with a slight bitterness, smell of nutmeg, strawberries, oregano and black pepper.
Black cumin as a seasoning
Chefs from all over the world have appreciated the valuable property of black cumin to impart a unique delicate taste to a wide variety of dishes. But this seasoning is especially widely used in India.
With the help of nigella, they add spice to fish and meat (most often from lamb) dishes, vegetables and legumes, with which caraway goes well. Also, black cumin is used in the preparation of poultry dishes, baking bread.
This fine black condiment can add flavor to mousses, jellies and even ice creams. They also put it in the dough into which the products are dipped before deep-fried.
Indian chefs have a secret that many European housewives have already adopted. Nigella seeds should be lightly fried in mustard oil. This will noticeably improve their taste and smell.
The famous Indian spice mix "punch phoron" is not complete without black cumin seeds. In South India it is added mainly to vegetarian dishes, while in West Bengal and Bangladesh it is added to meat dishes.
In Turkey and other countries of the Middle East, many types of baked goods are abundantly sprinkled with black cumin seeds, just like in Russia - with poppy seeds. Some oriental sweets are prepared from the root of black cumin, and the greens of the plant are added to salads.
In Russia, nigella seeds have long been used for salting cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and watermelons, for pickling cabbage.
Black cumin goes well with pepper, celery, oregano, coriander, ginger, cardamom.
In Uzbekistan, there is an unusual recipe with black cumin: it is added to the national cold milk soup. In general, if you boil milk with caraway seeds, the drink will have an unusual taste, quite pleasant.
And connoisseurs like to drink tea brewed with nigella seeds. Aromatic grains are also added to coffee, alcoholic liqueurs, compotes. Just put very little, because black cumin has a rather strong aroma.
