black caraway
Noun: 1. A Mediterranean herb with pungent seeds used as a spice: "Black caraway" refers to a plant (Nigella sativa) native to the Mediterranean region, Southwest Asia, and Northern Africa. Its small, black, pungent seeds are used as a spice in cooking and have a long history of use in traditional medicine. It is also commonly known as nigella, black seed, kalonji, and Roman coriander.
- Noun:
- The recipe calls for a teaspoon of black caraway to add a peppery flavor to the bread.
- Black caraway is often sprinkled on top of flatbreads before baking.
- The health benefits of black caraway have been studied for centuries.
- "Black caraway oil": An oil extracted from the seeds of the black caraway plant, used in culinary, cosmetic, and traditional medicinal applications.
- Some people take black caraway oil as a dietary supplement.
- Nigella (n): Another common name for the black caraway plant and its seeds.
- Black seed (n): A direct descriptive name for the seeds of the black caraway plant.
- Kalonji (n): The Hindi/Urdu name for black caraway seeds, frequently used in South Asian cuisine.
- Roman coriander (n): An older historical name for black caraway.
- Fennel flower (n): Another occasional name for the plant, referring to its delicate, ornamental flowers.
- Nigella seed: A synonym specifying the seed part of the plant.
- Charnushka: A name used in Russian and some other cuisines.
It is important to distinguish "black caraway" from true caraway (Carum carvi). While both are used as spices, they come from different botanical families and have distinct flavors. "Black caraway" (Nigella sativa) has a pungent, slightly bitter, oregano-like taste, whereas true caraway has a sweeter, anise-like flavor. The "black" in the name primarily differentiates it by seed color and to avoid confusion, though they are not botanically related.
- herb of the Mediterranean region having pungent seeds used like those of caraway