Black Seeds / Kalonji, Nigella Seeds

Black seeds also known as Kalonji or Nigella seeds are one of the lesser known spices in the Western world. However, they have been used in South Asian countries for centuries. Black seeds have a bittersweet, pungent, yet sweet and warm-earthy flavor. They have a strikingly dark black color, which lends a beautiful finish to any dish. They have some health-benefits as well such as digestive aid. For that reason, they’re sometimes used as mouth-freshner after meals to aid digestion. However, they can be used in other varieties of ways such in carrot, cabbage, chicken, duck, goose dishes in combination with salt or starches to bring out their earthy-nutty flavor.