Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various annual herbs of the genus Nigella of the buttercup family, native to Eurasia and North Africa, having finely dissected leaves, showy white, blue, or yellow solitary flowers, and an aggregate fruit composed of several follicles, including love-in-a-mist.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any plant of the genus Nigella of about twelve species of annual flowering plants, the blooms of which are generally blue in colour but also found in shades of pink, white and pale purple.
  • noun The seeds of the plant Nigella sativa, used as a culinary spice.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Late Latin, black cumin, from feminine of Latin nigellus, blackish, diminutive of niger, black; see nekw-t- in Indo-European roots.]

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Examples

  • Commonly known as nigella, this spice is also found under the name "onion seeds."

    The Seattle Times 2011

  • The only 2 Indian spice blends in my spice drawer, both made by me, are the panch phoron, which has a pretty strict ratio (equal amounts of fenugreek, cumin, nigella, black mustard seeds, and fennel seeds, if I remember right off the top of my head) and my garam masala, which I use when the recipe does not seem picky about a particular region's garam masala.

    Tried & True Goan Style Vindaloo Laura 2009

  • For example, we both thought maybe there were nigella seeds in the dish at the restaurant.

    Archive 2009-06-01 Laura 2009

  • Ingredient lists contained nigella seeds, manouri and galangal with little, if any, explanation.

    Cookbooks From Britannia Rule! Katherine Wheelock 2011

  • Followed a classic recipe (grated potatoes, eggs, salt, oil) but substituted sweet potatoes for white ones, included grated onion, and added fennel and onion seeds (nigella).

    Latkes: impossible food-wine pairing? | Dr Vino's wine blog 2009

  • For example, we both thought maybe there were nigella seeds in the dish at the restaurant.

    Aloo Kaanda Bhajee (Potatoes In Sweet Onion Sauce) Laura 2009

  • According to my favorite Indian cookbook author, Madhur Jaffrey, black cumin seeds (nigella) are sold as kalonji in Indian and Pakistani markets, and as siyah danch in Middle Eastern markets.

    Black Cumin May Treat Pancreatic Cancer 2010

  • For the pastry170g plain flour, plus extra to dust60g quick-cook polenta20g finely grated parmesan140g unsalted butter, fridge-cold and cut into cubes50ml waterA pinch of saltFor the filling200g comté, grated150ml crème fraîche150ml single cream3 eggs2 tsp nigella seeds¾ tsp each salt and ground whitepepper200g chopped Swiss chard, cooked for a few minutes in olive oil (or spinach, washed, wilted and drained)

    Yotam Ottolenghi's comté and polenta tart recipe 2010

  • Like Armenian string cheese, Nabulsi is salty, and studded with tiny black nigella seeds (also known as black caraway or black cumin), which give the cheese a slightly spicy, peppery taste.

    Say Cheese: Crisp and spicy 2010

  • According to my favorite Indian cookbook author, Madhur Jaffrey, black cumin seeds (nigella) are sold as kalonji in Indian and Pakistani markets, and as siyah danch in Middle Eastern markets.

    Black Cumin May Treat Pancreatic Cancer 2010

Comments

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  • Latin name for kalonji

    June 4, 2009

  • Also Latin name for love-in-a-mist; whereas the only Kalonji I've heard of is the former president and God-King of South Kasai.

    June 4, 2009

  • The only Go(o)d-king I have ever heard of is Wenceslas.

    June 4, 2009

  • apparently there are three more Kalonjis besides the spice

    My favourite is Sizzla, though the God-King comes a close second

    June 5, 2009

  • My packet says kaloonji.

    June 5, 2009

  • your packet can sucket.

    this sucket gets it right for a while, but then trips.

    June 5, 2009

  • Carway? No way.

    June 5, 2009

  • World's most annoyingly sexual TV chef.

    June 7, 2009

  • Here's the evidence.

    It's an Indian grocery spelling showdown to the death, madmouthkku.

    June 7, 2009

  • I'll take you up as soon as I'm back in little Punjab...but I bet there's a whole range--kalunji, kalanji, kilimanjaro

    There's no field for playing fast and loose like packaging in English(ish).

    From what I can tell at those televised dinner parties, Nigella's pallid English friends also find her annoyingly sexual. Bosomy raven-haired Jewesses have that effect on women.

    June 8, 2009

  • I now have to admit to having photographed a spice packet and uploading it to an album simply for the sake of illustrating a point on Wordie :-7

    June 8, 2009

  • but...but...if the internet can't give it to you, you've gotta give it to the internet!

    (though I did find squid curtains elsewhere later on)

    June 8, 2009

  • Madmouth, you should put "if the internet can't give it to you, you've gotta give it to the internet!" on a T-shirt!

    June 9, 2009

  • I agree. :-)

    June 9, 2009

  • I find JBIFLSI quenches that T-shirt thirst very well, without embroiling one in Funny T-shirt culture (I mean...don't we all wanna punch that guy wearing OJ Simpson's face with the caption "Lady Killer" proudly on his chest?)

    June 9, 2009