GARDENPlants and seeds

Bengali cooks: what is the English name for ‘Kalo Jeera’?

Kalo jeera means “black cumin” but often I find packs with different names on them – Nigella, Kalonji, Black onion seeds, Caraway seeds – although tiny and black, none of them look exactly like Kalo jeera, as I know it…. what is the right name I should look for, in a regular supermarket like sainsbury’s etc?

Kala jeera is a spice which is popular in Northern Indian cuisine. It is used to flavor meat and rice dishes, with a distinct rich, nutty, slightly grassy taste. Kala jeera is also known as black cumin, which can be confusing, since several other seeds are also called “black cumin.” When in doubt, the scientific name of true kala jeera is Bunium persicum, and the seeds are small, dark brown, and crescent shaped, with a sharp, bitter odor before cooking or toasting.

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