The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World - Padma Lakshmi (2016)

SPICES, HERBS, AND BLENDS FROM A TO Z

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NIGELLA

BOTANICAL NAME: Nigella sativa

OTHER NAMES: black seed, black onion or black caraway seed (erroneously), kalongi

FORMS: whole seeds

Nigella is a hardy annual native to western Asia, southern Europe, and the Middle East; it is related to a decorative plant that is often known as “love in a mist.” The Romans used nigella seeds in the kitchen, but the spice was better known in ancient Asia for its medicinal properties. Today, nigella is primarily grown in India; it is cultivated to a lesser degree in northern Africa and parts of the Middle East. Its name can be a source of confusion in India, where it is sometimes referred to as black onion or black caraway seed, though it is related to neither; the confusion can also extend to the spice market, where either of those seeds, or sometimes even black sesame seeds, may be identified as nigella.

Each nigella plant has five seedpods, or capsules, which look something like those of the poppy plant. These are harvested just before they ripen fully—as they burst or shatter easily when completely mature—and are dried, then crushed and sifted or threshed to remove the seeds. The tiny black seeds have a distinctive rounded triangular shape. They have a faint peppery aroma and a pungent, nutty, and slightly metallic taste. They are usually used whole but can be ground, preferably in a spice grinder, since they are very hard; for the best results, toast them first, to make them more brittle and easier to grind.

Nigella seeds are often sprinkled onto doughs for Indian naan and for Turkish or Middle Eastern flatbreads. They are also used to season Armenian string cheese and other hard white cheeses. For cooking, they are best either dry-roasted or toasted in oil at the beginning of a dish. In India, they are used to season vegetables or legumes. They can also be added to pickles and chutneys. Nigella seeds are one of the ingredients in the Bengali five-spice mix panch phoron.

NUTMEG GRATERS

You can certainly grate nutmeg with a Microplane or other sharp grater, but specially designed nutmeg graters are handy—and if you come across an old one in an antique shop, it will make a decorative addition to your kitchen. Long and narrow, shaped like a half cylinder, nutmeg graters usually also have a small compartment for storing whole nutmegs.

NUTMEG

BOTANICAL NAME: Mystica fragrans

FORMS: whole and ground

Nutmeg is the seed, or kernel, of a tall tropical evergreen tree native to the Moluccas, the Spice Islands. Today, it is also cultivated in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies—Grenada is one of the largest producers—and in the Indian state of Kerala. Nutmeg has long been used for medicinal purposes in China, India, and Arabian countries. By the sixteenth century, it was valued in Europe as both a spice and a curative—and it, as well as mace, was considered an aphrodisiac.

The nutmeg tree is the source of mace as well as of nutmeg (for more about mace, see here). The trees start bearing fruit after seven years and remain productive for forty years or longer. The fruits are harvested when ripe, either by simply gathering the fruits that have dropped from the trees or, in some countries, by removing them from the trees with long-handled baskets. The ripe fruits look something like a nectarine or an apricot but are sour and bitter and so are not eaten out of hand; they may be pickled or cooked into preserves. The ripe fruits are split open to reveal the nutmegs wrapped in their lacy covering of mace. The mace is removed and dried separately, and the seeds are dried in the sun until they rattle within their thin outer shells, a process that generally takes four to six weeks. Then the shells are cracked open and the nutmegs removed and graded.

The dried seeds are hard, oval, and pale brown. A cross section of a nutmeg will reveal a pattern of the veins that contain its oil. The seeds are sold whole or ground, but it is better to grate nutmeg yourself before using it, as the oils are volatile and the flavor dissipates quickly once the seeds are ground (see sidebar). The aroma is rich and warm, and the taste is warm and bittersweet.

Nutmeg flavors cakes and other baked goods and creamy desserts such as custard; it’s especially good in rice pudding. It is the classic garnish for eggnog, and in Scandinavia, it flavors mulled wine. It is also widely used in savory cooking. In Europe, grated nutmeg is stirred into many vegetable dishes, including mashed potatoes and other vegetable purees; it complements root vegetables particularly well. It also has an affinity for spinach. Nutmeg is the classic seasoning for béchamel sauce and is also good in cheese sauces. In Greece, it seasons moussaka, and in Italy, it is often an ingredient in lasagna. It is also used in charcuterie, as well as in spice mixes in India and the Middle East.

MEDICINAL USES: Nutmeg is known to be a digestive. It has a variety of other applications in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine.