Black cumin (Nigella sativa)

Black cumin belongs to the buttercup family. It is an annual herbaceous plant that grows from 15 to 50 cm. Black cumin grows in Iraq, western Asia and Turkey, as well as southern Europe, Pakistan and India.

It has been used as a spice and remedy for over 2,000 years. Black cumin oil is often used in naturopathy for allergies, neurodermatitis and psoriasis, but also to regulate the immune system, digestive problems and high blood pressure. It is also known for increasing milk yield in humans and cows, as a spice in bread, as sauces for fish and meat, or as an insecticide against moths, for example.

In total, there are up to 650 medical studies that have investigated the plant. In the kitchen, black cumin has long been used as a spice. In the Orient, it used to be said “black cumin cures every disease except death.”