Cumin vs black cumin

5 years ago

Is there a big flavor difference between regular cumin seed and black cumin seed? Trying to decide whether it's worth having both in my spice arsenal.

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Comments (5)

plllog
5 years ago
I haven't cooked with “black cumin”, but I can tell you that two totally different plants use that name. I've eaten my share of nigella sativa, which is common in Indian food, as well as much of the Middle East. Cumin is a totally different plant from both nigella and the other black cumin one. I'm not so fond of cumin, and don't really like it in Indian food, whereas a lot of Mexican food doesn't taste right without it. I could say the same about Nigella in some Eastern foods. I don't know anything about the other black cumin plant. If your recipe calls for it, go ahead and get some, but I'd want to know if it meant nigella seed, or the other one, and I'd want to buy the specific one. If you have an Indian grocery store near you, it would be worth going in and asking the spice clerk.
porkchop_z5b_MI
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I've been using "regular" cumin seed in my curry powder and garam masala blends, they taste good to me even though the recipe I have for the GM says black cumin. Eh, I doctor the recipe anyway, so not like I feel I have to follow it exactly -- just wondering if there's much of a taste difference. I didn't know there are two kinds of black cumin -- I thought it was just the nigella. Good idea to check in at the Indian grocer (there's a couple good ones in the area).
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As far as I know nigella damascena doesn't produce the same kind of seeds and they're not terrific for eating. I "heard" about it after eating it many times in Middle Eastern bread. (my mother ran a Kosher Deli once..... don't ask.... we're Italian! and there was a large Sephardic (Middle Eastern/Meditteranean) Jewish community. We stocked many middle eastern specialties including breads made with nigella. These breads were among my favorite especially hot off the truck. :) ). I've looked though in spice sections of stores for nigella and didn't find it so I thought I'd grow my own. I bought the seeds from pinetree garden. (they have it listed under black cumin in the annual "herb" section). Very easy to grow as regular nigella but surely not that pretty. As I said.... will be yummy though. :) P.S. nigella seeds have a sesame/camphoric taste about them.
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The substitution for cumin would vary, depending on the recipe. I like a lot of it in some recipes, a reduced amount in other recipes, and for some recipes I omit it together. Most recipes I've found for hummus call for a small amount of cumin, but I've found that leaving it out altogether (as I do in my own recipe) allows the other flavors to be better appreciated (at least for me). I use a lot of cumin in my Texas bean dip recipe (which uses pinto or red beans), and it is definitely a defining flavor in that recipe. I vary the amount of cumin I use in Indian recipes, depending on my mood. For some recipes (including chili), you can substitute achiote paste for cumin, but this would not necessarily work for other recipes. Lars
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Lars
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I also adjust my curry powder and garam masala to my taste and tend to use less cinnamon than is called for - that is just my preference.

If you don't have black cumin, you could add a bit of fennel seed or sumac to adjust the flavor.

I use a lot of cumin in Mexican dishes, but I strongly dislike it in hummus. I do like it in Indian food, however. I also notice a big difference when I use ground cumin as opposed to grinding my own seeds.
party_music50
5 years ago
I can’t add anything re black cumin.... I’m just happy to hear that I’m not the only one who isn’t crazy about cumin. :)

garam masala — yum! I haven’t used it in a long while, so it’s time!
party_music50
5 years ago
I found this blogger who says that black cumin is “reminiscent of fennel with a sweeter lemony caraway flavor”.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiI3Zrqt7rtAhVJCM0KHQxhBvAQFjABegQIBhAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwholespice.com%2Fblog%2Fthe-ubiquitous-cumin%2F&usg=AOvVaw38RIGa2mPvp_TrHvwawd2t

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Cumin vs black cumin

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plllog

porkchop_z5b_MI
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Cumin vs black cumin

Comments (5)

plllog

porkchop_z5b_MIOriginal Author

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porkchop_z5b_MI
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