We source our Al Baraka Nigella Seeds from an organic farm in Fayoum, Egypt. They have a nutty, herbal flavor and are traditionally used as a topping for breads as well as hummus, cheese and other cold dishes.
Our Nigella Seed comes from an extended family of farmers in an ancient agricultural community in central Egypt, on the Nile River floodplain. Fayoum has been a center for the cultivation of spices for thousands of years, and the use of nigella (a member of the buttercup family) for flavor and health goes back as far as recorded history. Often used in baking and cheesemaking, nigella adds a savory, roasty flavor and aroma. Sprinkle on top of breads and savory pastries, or grind for spice blends or to make a paste like tahini.
The Arabic name of nigella seeds is Habat Al Baraka (Al Baraka means "blessed" and "habat" means seed).
Fayoum, Egypt
Sun-dried
Organically grown black nigella seed (Nigella sativa)
Sweet Roasted Onions • Nutty • Herbal
COOKING
- Lightly toast them to release essential oils and throw them whole into curries, soups or sauces
- Sprinkle on top of breads or pastries, or incorporate them in bread doughs and batters for added flavor and crunchy texture
- Add them to pickles, relishes, or chutneys
- Grilled or Griddled Seeded Round Breads
- Nigella Bolani with Cheese, Basil & Squash Blossoms
SOURCING
Nigella sativa seeds were said to have been found in King Tut’s tomb and have been used for thousands of years as a preservative, spice, and medicine. Our nigella seeds are sourced from an organic farm in central Egypt, where ancient canal systems divert the Nile’s waters to irrigate the fields. The seeds are harvested from capsules inside the Nigella sativa (an herbaceous annual flowering plant) when they bloom in the summer, and are then sun-dried.
We connected with the farmers through our partnership with Zaid of Norwich Meadows Farm. Every year, Zaid works with a crew of highly skilled Egyptian farmers who come to his farm in upstate New York to grow organic vegetables using a specific system of high tunnels and intercropping. The vegetables that Zaid grows with this group of farmers are stunning, and these same farmers have their own farms in Egypt, where they grow ancient varietals of desert-adapted spices that rely on seasonal flooding from the Nile River as the primary source of water. Their farms produce this and our other Egyptian spices.
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United StatesObsessed! Game changing
These are the perfect compliment to top my challah with!
United Statesgood product
It's good, I just expected it to taste a little bit stronger.
United StatesWonderful on food.
Amazing product. High quality and gives certain dishes a different flavor profile.
United Statestasty
I sprinkled them on top of my pumpernickel bread before I baked it!! Extremely fresh and tasty. thank you for providing such excellent products.
United StatesWonderful like all your spices!
I only recently started using them, and believe it or not I used it in my breakfast oatmeal and it gave it a nice texture and interesting nutty flavor. I also enjoyed it in lentil stew and was very happy.
United StatesSmall seeds deliver enormous depth
Making dinner rols, this seeds brought a fabulous taste well beyound their sides.
WONDERFUL. The spices are fantastic! First, the aroma.... then the flavor.... and finally the fun in cooking with them. I am so glad that Rancho Gordo recommended you, as I had not heard of you before. I am having so much fun - and good eating - experimenting with my purchases.
Nigel Seeds - Delicious. Love Burlap and Barrel spices. They're always so fresh and fragrant, and the nigella seeds on top of homemade bread gives that additional nutty, crunch to the bread.