Black mustard seeds are dark brown seeds which are used to make table mustard and in curries. They are the seeds of an annual herb of the cabbage family which bears yellow flowers.
The darkening of food residues at the neck of a bottle caused by oxydisation of ferrous compounds. Affects such foods as tomato sauce.
Black nightshade is a weed with yellow flowers and black berries said in many places to be poisonous but used in Central America to make an infusion for health purposes.
The black olive is the fully ripened fruit of the olive tree. Both green and black olives are eaten. The black olives are the source of olive oil.
Nigella. The small, black, bitter seeds of a relative of "love-in-a-mist". Nigella is often incorrectly called wild onion seed or black onion seed. The seeds have a sharp, pungent flavour with a hint of a smell of strawberries and are used for flavouring confectionary and liquors.
Developed by William Cook of Orpington House in Kent, this breed of hen was first introduced in 1866. Later, other coloured varieties were introduced, including the more well known "Buff Orpington" which is perhaps the most common hen nowadays. Originally it was regarded as a good utility fowl with good winter laying properties producing a rich brown egg, and as an excellent table bird, especially when crossed with Indian Game. Modern strains have retained their table qualities but have sacrificed the winter laying and egg colour for an increase in feathers and other show qualities. They are small, dark and compact.
Black peppercorns, the fruit of a perennial vine with large leaves and white flowers. Green peppercorns are the unripe fruits picked early and pickled. Black peppercorns are picked just before they ripen and white peppercorns are the ripe, black peppercorns with the black skin flaked off. They are best kept whole and ground when required. Historically, pepper was one of the world's most important spices. Columbus sailed West, not East, in search of pepper in the East Indies. Instead he found the Americas and allspice.
