Nigella Black Cumin
Regular price €3.00
Nigella, also known as Black Cumin, is an annual, flowering plant native to Asia and the Middle East. Its wispy, elegant, blue flowers look stunning in any garden or balcony arrangement and, if you can resist picking the delicate blooms, the seed pods that develop from the flowers are equally glorious. In fact, the seeds are the edible part of the plant and are widely used in Indian, Middle Eastern and Slavic cooking for their strong aroma and spicy taste. If you ever enjoyed Turkish bread and wondered what the tasty little black seed on top of it was—it’s Nigella. It’s hard to believe that such a delicate little flower packs such a flavourful punch, indispensable in Indian and Asian cuisine.
Details
Latin name
Nigella sativa
Name
Nigella
Variety
Black cumin
Quantity
100 seeds
Plant size
Height 30 cm
Width 20 cm
Container size
Height 30 cm
Width 20 cm
Companion plant
Strawberries, carrots, calendula, nasturtium, borage
How to grow
Sowing
Indoor Not required
Outdoor Apr-Sept
Timing
Germination 10-15 days
Harvesting 80-100 days
Spacing
When sowing 3-5 cm; Depth 0,5 cm
When thinning 20-30 cm
Growing
Sunligth Full sun
Soil Well-drained, fertile and moist soil
Watering Regular, moderate watering
Feeding Light feeder
Caring
Expert tip Taking care of Nigella is simple: water during dry times, feed regularly and deadhead spent blooms to encourage the growth of more flowers or collect seeds from dried seedpods.
Supporting
Pollinators
Attracts bees and butterflies.
Pests
Repels the carrot fly
How to eat
Harvesting
Nigella seeds can be harvested in late summer and stored for use throughout the year. Ensure that the black seeds are completely dry, then store them in an airtight container.
Eating
Medicinal properties Among many of its health benefits, there is also a belief that eating the seed will make a woman's breasts plumper.
How to eat Black Cumin seeds, also known as kalonji in Hindi, have an oregano-like quality with herbaceous notes, a slight bitterness and a warm, toasted-onion flavour. Each country has a peculiar traditional recipe for it: naan bread in India, string cheese in the Middle East, preserved lemons in Morocco, to name but a few.
