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Common Name: Black Cumin

General Information

Nigella sativa is an annual plant that can grow up to 0.35 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

N. Africa to Ethiopia and W. Asia.

Habitat

Waste places, arable land and waysides[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.35 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in any good garden soil, preferring a sunny position[, ]. Prefers a light soil in a warm position[].
This species is often cultivated, especially in western Asia and India, for its edible seed[].
The seed is aromatic with a nutmeg scent[].
A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[].

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked. Normally used as a flavouring on bread, cakes, curries, pickles etc[, , , , ]. There is a belief that eating the seed will make a woman's breasts plumper[]. The seed is a very popular spice from the Mediterranean to India. It has a pungent flavour according to one report[] whilst another says that it has a spicy fruity taste[] and a third that the scent is somewhat like nutmeg[]. The immature seed is bitter, but when fully ripe it is aromatic[]. It is also used as a pepper substitute[].

Medicinal

Like many aromatic culinary herbs, the seeds of black cumin are beneficial for the digestive system, soothing stomach pains and spasms and easing wind, bloating and colic[].
The ripe seed is anthelmintic, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue, galactogogue, laxative and stimulant[, , , , ]. An infusion is used in the treatment of digestive and menstrual disorders, insufficient lactation and bronchial complaints[, ]. The seeds are much used in India to increase the flow of milk in nursing mothers and they can also be used to treat intestinal worms, especially in children[]. Externally, the seed is ground into a powder, mixed with sesame oil and used to treat abscesses, haemorrhoids and orchitis[, ]. The powdered seed has been used to remove lice from the hair[].

Other Uses

The aromatic seed contains about 1.5% essential oil[]. It is placed amongst clothes etc to repel moths[]. The seeds can also be put in muslin bags and hung near a fire when they will fill the room with their delicious scent[]. They need to be changed about every three weeks[].
The seed contains 35% of a fatty oil[, ].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring or early autumn in situ[]. The autumn sowing might not be successful in harsh winters. Plants can be transplanted if necessary[].