BIO Black cumin seeds

Organic black cumin seeds

The seeds of black cumin (Nigella sativa) are marked by an aromatic, spicy-peppery taste. We purchase the fully ripe seeds from organic cultivation in Egypt.

Valuable ingredients

Black cumin seeds are rich in the essential, polyunsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid. It contributes to a normal level of cholesterol in the blood. Furthermore, it is very rich in essential oils, bitter substances and tannins like nigellin and thymoquinon. They lead to the intense, characteristic taste and made it popular in traditional naturopathy.

The black cumin plant

Black cumin (Nigella sativa) belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. Even though it is also known as black caraway, the two plants are not related. The seeds are small, have sharp edges and, as you can tell by the name, they are deep black in colour.

History and origin

In Germany, black cumin has a long standing history and it used to be cultivated in many farmer's gardens. According to an old anecdote, Martin Luther left out the "black" in "black cumin" when he translated the bible from Hebrew which led to many misunderstandings. In any case, it is known for a fact that black cumin was already widely spread in Egypt and the neighbouring countries and used for many purposes in the times of the pharaohs. Still today, the black cumin seeds of the highest quality come from Egypt.