Black cumin or nigella is type of cumin with very dark seeds and a slightly sweeter aroma than the more regular cumin. It is used in northern Indian and Iranian cooking. The name is sometimes used to describe the black seeds of nigella or love-in-a-mist but they actually derive from this umbelliferous plant. They have a sharp, pungent flavour, with a hint of a smell of strawberries and are used for flavouring confectionary and liquors.
