Talk:Bunium persicum

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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2007)

Could a native speaker please clarify what 'kala jeera' refers to. The bag of kala jeera that I bought the other week contains B. persicum, not N. Sativa.

Kala jeera applies to black cumin B. Persicum in most of North India, but is not the same as caraway which is only found by roadsides in India, not as a crop (private email with Edinburgh Botanical Gardens). Nigella sativa, also known erroneously in India and other countries, as black onion seed (not related) is known as kala jeera (other spellings) in Bengal.

[edit] explosive?

Having googled extensively for info on black cumin as a sensitizer, I am not finding anything that says whether nigella or bunium is meant. Does someone know for sure? -- WormRunner 07:48, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

Have removed this para until it can be found out - MPF 12:40, 2 February 2006 (UTC)

The dried and ground black cumin is used in bomb making as a sensitizer [1].

What on earth is a sensitizer?

[edit] Confusion

As mentioned above, there seems to be some confusion over the different plants black cumin may refer to. I removed some talk from the article suggesting that Bunium persicum does not contain thymol, for example. I have no idea what is correct, but if somebody could clear it up, that would be great. --Michael Snow (talk) 21:28, 28 February 2008 (UTC)

The confusion can be cleared up by looking at this page: [2]

The chemicals mentioned as being contained in this spice (Bunium Persicum) do not include menthol, which, also as stated in this reference, is contained in ajwain spice, a related, but not similar spice. Ajwain is also known as carom or Bishop's weed.

The pseudo-medical diotribe listed is not referenced, and is highly suspect, not backed by modern scientific medical evidence. Also, the text includes (mis?)information about black cumin, ordinary cumin and nigella, the latter two are nothing to do with this page!! Please remove. Waaza 02/03/08 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.44.76.73 (talk) 23:54, 2 March 2008 (UTC)