Arabic & Levantine Pantry Guide
Nigella Seeds (Habbat al-Baraka): The Aromatic Black Seed for Cheese and Bread
Nigella seeds (known in Arabic as habbat al-baraka or qizha) are the jet-black, angular seeds of Nigella sativa. When toasted or baked, they release a warm, peppery aroma with notes of oregano and toasted onion, making them an essential topping for Middle Eastern breads and a signature ingredient in Levantine white cheeses.
Flavour Profile and How to Tell It Apart from Black Sesame
Despite sometimes being called black cumin or black caraway, nigella is botanically unrelated to either spice. Raw nigella seeds have almost no scent, but as soon as they hit a hot pan or bake on top of bread dough, their essential oils bloom into a savoury, slightly smoky flavour reminiscent of oregano, nutmeg and cracked black pepper. They are easy to distinguish from black sesame seeds: nigella seeds are matte black and shaped like tiny three-sided pyramids, whereas sesame seeds are flat and teardrop-shaped.
A Hallmark of Levantine Brined Cheeses
Across Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan, whole nigella seeds are folded directly into the curds of traditional white cheeses such as Nabulsi cheese, Syrian ring-shaped msannara cheese and braided majdoula cheese. Alongside mahlab and mastic, the black seeds speckle the snow-white cheese and infuse the brine with an unmistakable herbal-peppery note.
On Flatbreads, Manakish, Pastries and Pickles
In Middle Eastern bakeries, nigella seeds are paired with golden sesame seeds and scattered generously over Ramadan flatbreads, cheese and za'atar manakish, savoury pastries and crisp ka'ak breadsticks. They also season vegetable pickles (torshi) and preserved lemons.
