Disclaimer: The reviewer has received the product/service at a reduced price or for free. All opinions contained in this post are my own and are my honest thoughts based on my own experience with this product.
I make a lot of homemade breads and rolls. I like adding nutty tasting seeds to the top of them and I want those seeds to make my breads and rolls tastier than if I left the tops plain. Nigella sativa is one of the nutty tasting seeds that I like using when I bake bread or rolls, but it is not the only use for this spice. Nigella has a lot of other culinary uses including as an ingredient in homemade Garam masala – and most of you know I also enjoy making my own spice mixtures. I like fresh herbs and spices because they give a taste that dried out, older ones just don’t.
I have grown my own Nigella for a number of years but never seem to be able to produce enough to use so I am thrilled to find that Jiva Organics offers a huge bag at a great price! Prior to receiving this package I had bought a small one ounce jar and paid $7 or $8 for it. The ones I bought came from a very well known (name withheld) spice company. In comparison the Jiva Organics Kalonjii Black Seed Nigella Sativa was plump (meaning the seeds were not over processed during drying), much nuttier tasting, obviously fresher (you could tell that just by looking) and for whatever reason the inside of the package had a pleasing smell similar to cumin.
I love the fact that these seeds were organic. Shipping was very fast. I love getting a product that is the same high quality that I would get had I harvested the seeds myself. This is exactly the quality of spices I have received both times from Jiva Organics. I highly recommend this company and if you have a use for Nigella in your cooking, do order some. The only way I would have been able to get these seeds any fresher is if I actually picked them from my garden.
On a final note, I was intrigued when I saw the bad reviews on Amazon stating that this product was not Nigella but was cumin instead. I assure you what I received was indeed Nigella. The seeds are black – which is the right color and the taste is very nutty – spot on. The only thing that threw me was the smell. The inside of the package did smell spicy similar to cumin but the seeds tasted fine.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.