[Sca-cooks] Is this nigella?

[Stefan li Rous]

> Also sprach Stefan li Rous:
> > Help! I bought several items this past Pennsic from the Pepperer's
> > Guild. Most I've been able to identify but one I can not. I can't
> > find any kind of receipt but I think this might be nigella looking
> > at their price list and knowing that I bought this because it wasn't
> > something I already had.
> >
> > Perhaps someone could describe what nigella seeds look like and I
> > can verify this from that? The web photo I found was inconclusive. I
> > may just have to take this to a local Cook's Guild meeting and see
> > if someone there knows what these are.
>
> I'd say nigella seeds look a little like cumin or caraway or anise or
> fennel seeds, except they're maybe a little flattened and dark grey
> to coal black. I often find them in Armenian string cheese, in which
> the moisture from the cheese tends to swell them up somewhat.
>
> Adamantius
Thanks. That's quite a range of items there, cumin or caraway or anise 
or fennel seeds..:-)
However, after I posted this I decided to go on to the next paper bag 
and the next thing I pulled out was a bag clearly labeled "black 
nigella" and those looked identical to the picture I had found on the 
web. Very black, with one end slightly bulbier than the other.  But not 
at all resembling the unknown spice I was asking about.

I think now, comparing the unknown seed to the spices I have that it is 
cumin. A little darker than what I had, but identical in size and 
striping. I didn't need that much more since I already had some, but I 
remember in July needing cumin but not finding any and having to resort 
to powdered. So, I guess that stuck in my mind when I was browsing at 
the Pepperer's Guild.

I now have several ounces of long pepper between what I bought at this 
last Pennsic and the several 1 oz. bags I found from a previous 
Pennsic. The guy at the Pepperer's Guild did comment that they weren't 
sure they would be able to get more, and this will keep, so I guess 
this is good.

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****