Nigellas are aromatic and medicinal plants belonging to the Renonculaceae family and the Helleboreae tribe. The Nigella genus comprises some 14 known species, all of which are melliferous. The most famous species - which you'll find here according to harvest and season - is undoubtedly Nigella sativa, used for thousands of years in traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine. Its black seeds - from which an excellent oil is extracted - are used as a spice in cooking, helping to eliminate toxins while stimulating cell regeneration and boosting the immune system. But Nigella damascena has virtues of its own, contrary to popular belief. Its flowers are just as edible as its seeds, which have a nutmeg-like taste and are, according to Lewis Sturtevant, used in Turkey as a condiment. A 2015 study highlighted that Nigella damascena is not a diuretic like Nigella sativa, but has more powerful antioxidant properties.
