Nigella sativa is an
annual flowering plant, native to southwest
Asia. It grows to 20–30&_160;cm tall, with finely divided, linear (but not thread-like)
leaves. The
flowers are delicate, and usually coloured pale blue and white, with 5–10 petals. The
fruit is a large and inflated
capsule composed of 3–7 united follicles, each containing numerous
seeds. The seed is used as a
spice.
In English, Nigella sativa seed is variously called Black cumin, fennel flower, nutmeg flower, Roman coriander, blackseed, black caraway, or black onion seed. Other names used, sometimes misleadingly, are onion seed and black sesame, both of which are similar-looking but unrelated. The seeds are frequently referred to as black cumin (as in Bengali ???? ???? kalo jira), but this is also used for a different spice, Bunium persicum. The scientific name is a derivative of Latin niger "black".[1] An older English name gith is now used for the corncockle. In English-speaking countries with large immigrant populations, it is also variously known as kalonji (Hindi ?????? kalau?ji or ?????? kalo?ji), kezah Hebrew ???), chernushka (Russian), çörek otu (Turkish), habbat albarakah (Arabic ??? ?????? ?abbatu l-barakah "seed of blessing") or siyah daneh (Persian ????????? siyâh dâne)or ?????? in urdu.
This potpourri of vernacular names for this plant reflects that its widespread use as a spice is relatively new in the English speaking world, and largely associated with immigrants from areas where it is well known. Increasing use is likely to result in one of the names winning out.[citation needed]
According to Zohary and Hopf, archeological evidence about the earliest cultivation of N. sativa "is still scanty", but they report that N. sativa seeds have been found in several sites from ancient Egypt, including Tutenkhamen's tomb.[2] Although its exact role in Egyptian culture is unknown, it is known that items entombed with a pharaoh were carefully selected to assist him in the after life.
