The best black cumin seeds, compared.
Top pick: LoveSunnah Ethiopian black seeds, 250 g Best value: Busy Beans Organic nigella seeds, 250 g – Lowest food price per 100 g among named nigella here, at £2.78, from a 250 g pouch at about £6.95 with 4.1 from 19 reviews. Updated 21.10.2026.
Black cumin on a UK packet can be sativa, also called kalonji, persicum, also called shahi jeera, or a pouch that names no species at all. You may want a culinary seed for bread and pickles, or a sowing packet for the garden, and the title often does not say which. This page keeps six amazon.co.uk listings, after oils were removed. Trust a botanical name, or the shape: matte and angular for kalonji, a thin crescent for shahi jeera. The RHS lists both plants as black cumin, in different families. How the two seeds differ is set out under [nigella or shahi jeera](/hub/herb-seeds/black-cumin-seeds/sub/black-cumin-seeds-nigella-or-shahi-jeera). A food pouch and a seed card are not substitutes. Nigella sativa, also called kalonji, is a matte, angular seed in the buttercup family. Bunium persicum, also called shahi jeera or kala jeera, is a thin crescent in the carrot family. Hari describes the crescent as shahi jeera, not nigella. The Curry House puts kala jeera in pilau and kalonji on naan. If the Latin name is missing, use the shape, and treat two families on one page as an unsettled listing.
Black cumin on a UK packet can be sativa, also called kalonji, persicum, also called shahi jeera, or a pouch that names no species at all.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where will you use them?
LoveSunnah lists 250 g of whole nigella, described as Ethiopian black seeds, at £8.99, which is £3.60 per 100 g. The amazon.co.uk line is 5.0 from 1 review, and there is no review text, so the star does not describe flavour, grit or aroma. Ethiopia appears in the bullets rather than a separate origin field, and no organic claim is stated. The listing also uses supplement-style wording, which is not a checked health result. The pack is large enough for a kitchen that already cooks with nigella, and the unit price sits between Busy Beans and Natco. Buy it only if you accept a named nigella pouch with almost no buyer comment. Skip it if you wanted a review file you can read, or a control-body code.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 250 g nigella pouch and you can accept one rating with no written review.
Less suitable: You want review text, an organic code, or the lowest price per 100 g in this set.
Specifications
Common questions
What species and origin does the listing state?
Nigella, described as Ethiopian black seeds. Ethiopia is in the bullets. There is no separate origin field.
Is organic claimed, and is there review text?
No organic claim is stated. The listing shows 5.0 from 1 review and no review text.
What pack and price are stated?
250 g at £8.99, which is £3.60 per 100 g. Vegan status is not stated.
The Natco 100 g pouch is listed at £4.24, which is £4.24 per 100 g, and amazon.co.uk shows 4.6 from 141 reviews, the largest sample in this set. The title says black cumin seeds and does not give a botanical name. A live line on the listing says this black cumin is not nigella, and one reviewer says the seeds are black cumin and not kalonji. Other comments praise a nutty flavour in curries, lentils, rice, pastries and garam masala, while criticism says the seeds were not black or that the contents were ordinary cumin. Country of origin is India, and no organic claim is stated. That review volume helps only after you have accepted this is not named kalonji. It is a poor match if you wanted Nigella sativa for naan, or a sowing packet with a seed count.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a small Indian spice pouch and you have already accepted it is not named kalonji.
Less suitable: You need Nigella sativa for naan, or seed to sow.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing name the species?
No. The stated name is black cumin seeds, and the botanical name is not stated. One reviewer says these are black cumin and not kalonji. Live listing text says this black cumin is not nigella.
What did reviewers say about the contents?
Praise covers a nutty flavour in curries, lentils, rice, pastries and garam masala. Criticism says the seeds were not black, or that the contents were ordinary cumin.
What pack, price and origin are stated?
100 g at £4.24, which is £4.24 per 100 g. Country of origin is India. No organic claim is stated.
SAFLAX lists 300 Nigella sativa seeds at £4.55, with 4.4 from 28 reviews, and it is the only sowing packet in this comparison. The item weight is 5 g, so there is no food price per 100 g. The card calls the plant perennial, 30–60 cm, with white and blue flowers, and it claims certified organic without naming the control body. Country of origin is Germany. Three review texts are noted, one of them from the UK: praise covers presentation, careful packing and the potting instructions, and one review reports no germination. That single miss is not a germination rate. Here it is the top pick when you want named seed to sow, if you follow a UK annual description rather than the card’s perennial line, and you do not tip the packet into a pan as a weighed spice.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want to sow named Nigella sativa and you will check the plant habit against a UK source.
Less suitable: You want kalonji by the spoon for naan or pickle.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a spice pouch or a sowing packet?
It is a sowing packet of 300 Nigella sativa seeds. The item weight is 5 g. There is no food price per 100 g.
What does the listing say about the plant and the organic claim?
The card calls the plant perennial, 30–60 cm, with white and blue flowers. Organic is claimed as certified organic, and the control body is not named. Country of origin is Germany.
What do the reviews say?
Three review texts are noted, one of them from the UK. Praise covers presentation and packing. One review reports no germination, which is not a germination rate.
Busy Beans Organic lists 250 g of nigella, also called black cumin and kalonji, at £6.95, which is £2.78 per 100 g, the lowest food unit price in this set. Amazon.co.uk shows 4.1 from 19 reviews. Praise covers the pack size, quality and packaging. One review reports grit, small sticks and stones, so you should look at the first spoon before you scatter it on dough. Country of origin is Turkey. The page says certified organic, vegetarian and vegan, and GMO free, and it does not name the control body, so the organic word is unfinished against a UK code. Here it is the best value when you want named kalonji for cooking and you will pick over the seeds. It is the wrong row if you wanted a sowing count, or a code you can match to a control body.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You cook with kalonji and you want the lowest price per 100 g among named nigella in this set.
Less suitable: You need a GB-ORG code on the label, or seed to sow.
Specifications
Common questions
What does the listing call these seeds?
Nigella, black cumin and kalonji. Country of origin is Turkey. The pack is 250 g at £6.95, which is £2.78 per 100 g.
Is the organic claim complete?
The listing says certified organic. The control body is not named. It also says vegetarian and vegan, and GMO free.
What did reviewers mention?
Praise covers pack size, quality and packaging. One review reports grit, small sticks and stones, so check the first spoon.
HMW lists 100 g of Nigella sativa, described as Ethiopian black seeds, at £8.99, which is £8.99 per 100 g, the highest food unit price in this set. Amazon.co.uk shows 3.9 from 5 reviews. One buyer who focused on purity was satisfied, and another says the fragrance and taste were not what they expect from Ethiopian black seed, and that the product is not Ethiopian black seed. Organic is not stated. The listing mentions omega-6, thymoquinone and beta-sitosterol, and it mentions ruqyah. Those are listing lines, not a result you should buy on. The botanical name is clearer than Natco’s, but five reviews and a disputed origin are a thin basis for the dearest spoonful here. Choose it only when you specifically want a 100 g pouch that prints Nigella sativa and Ethiopia, and you have read that aroma complaint.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 100 g pouch that prints Nigella sativa and Ethiopia, and you have read the aroma complaint.
Less suitable: You want more than 100 g, a lower price per 100 g, or a larger review file.
Specifications
Common questions
What species and origin are stated?
Nigella sativa, described as Ethiopian black seeds. Country of origin is Ethiopia. Organic is not stated.
What is the pack price?
100 g at £8.99, which is £8.99 per 100 g. The listing mentions omega-6, thymoquinone and beta-sitosterol, and mentions ruqyah. Those lines are listing text, not a checked health claim.
What do the reviews say?
One buyer focused on purity was satisfied. Another says the fragrance and taste were not what they expect from Ethiopian black seed, and that the product is not Ethiopian black seed.
Spice Mart’s 50 g pouch is £3.75, which is £7.50 per 100 g, and the listing has no amazon.co.uk star line and no review text. The title says shahi kali jeeri, while a bullet also places the seeds in the buttercup family, so the page does not name one plant. The listing says there are no fillers, colours or binders, and that the pouch is a resealable stand-up paper pack suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Country of origin is India. A health disclaimer frames the pouch as culinary, which is the right limit, but it does not repair the two-family clash. At this unit price, and with no ratings, you cannot treat it as a checked shahi jeera. Skip it when you need either a thin crescent named once, or kalonji for bread.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already hold this pouch and only needed the stated 50 g pack notes.
Less suitable: You need one named plant, or any review text, before you cook.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing name one species?
No. The title says shahi kali jeeri, and a bullet also says the buttercup family. The title and the bullets do not name one species.
Is there an Amazon rating?
No. The listing has no star rating and no review text.
What pack, price and diet notes are stated?
50 g at £3.75, which is £7.50 per 100 g. Country of origin is India. The listing says suitable for vegetarians and vegans. No organic claim is stated.
Scores use the six amazon.co.uk listings kept in this comparison. Shelf date 19 October 2026, with live wording checked on 20 October 2026. This is not a taste panel, a germination trial or a certificate check. A 5.0 from one review cannot outrank a named plant with a readable review file. No food price per 100 g is published for the sowing packet. The blocks below are the maximum points in the score (stars up to 60, review count up to 10, plant name up to 12, review text up to 5, unit price up to 8), scaled to weights that sum to 100. Deductions then apply for a not-nigella or ordinary-cumin review, grit, a no-germination note, health bullets, and an organic claim with no control body. The floor is 24. The highest score is the top pick. Best value is the lowest food price per 100 g among pouches that name nigella, on a different ASIN.
Amazon stars
63%Amazon rating times 12. A listing with no rating scores 0 on this block. A 5.0 from one review cannot outrank a named plant with a readable review file.
Review volume
11%100 or more reviews adds 10. 20 or more adds 6. 10 or more adds 3. One to nine reviews subtracts 10. No reviews subtracts 16.
Plant name
13%One consistent plant name adds 12. A missing species, or two families on one listing, subtracts 8.
Review text
5%Review text on the listing adds 5. No review text subtracts 5. A star line with no written review does not describe flavour, grit or aroma.
Unit price
8%Named culinary nigella at £3 or under per 100 g adds 8. Other food at £3 to £4.50 per 100 g adds 3. Dearer food adds 0. A named sowing packet with a seed count adds 6.
Name the job before the title. Kalonji, shahi jeera and seed to sow are three purchases, and a food price per 100 g does not apply to a sowing packet.
Black cumin on a UK packet is not one plant. Nigella sativa, also called kalonji, is a matte, angular seed in the buttercup family. Bunium persicum, also called shahi jeera or kala jeera, is a thin crescent in the carrot family. The RHS lists both under the title black cumin. Hari Ghotra describes the crescent as shahi jeera, not nigella. The Curry House puts kala jeera in pilau and kalonji on naan. Ordinary cumin is larger and browner.
Nigella sativa and Bunium persicum are different families. Natco’s listing says its black cumin is not nigella. Spice Mart’s title says shahi jeera and a bullet says the buttercup family. If the Latin name is missing, use the shape: matte and angular, or a thin crescent.
A spice pouch is a food. A sowing packet is not a weighed spice. Do not sow Busy Beans, LoveSunnah, HMW, Natco or Spice Mart for a germination figure. Do not tip the SAFLAX 5 g packet into a pan as a cooking measure.
Organic food sold in the UK needs a control body such as GB-ORG-02, GB-ORG-04 or GB-ORG-05, or an XI-ORG code in Northern Ireland, plus an origin line. Busy Beans and SAFLAX name no code. Organic does not mean safer when that code is missing.
Decide whether you want kalonji, shahi jeera, or seed to sow. A food pouch and a seed card are not substitutes. Nigella sativa, also called kalonji, is the matte, angular seed for naan, pickles and panch phoron. BBC Food describes panch phoran as equal parts fenugreek, nigella, cumin, black mustard and fennel, used whole. Bunium persicum, also called shahi jeera, is a thin crescent for pulao. The RHS lists both plants as black cumin, in different families.
Compare culinary pouches by price per 100 g, and leave the sowing packet off that scale. On the 19 October 2026 listings the food prices per 100 g are Busy Beans £2.78, LoveSunnah £3.60, Natco £4.24, Spice Mart £7.50 and HMW £8.99. Busy Beans is the low figure among pouches that name nigella, which is why it is the best value, not because it has the second-highest score. SAFLAX is £4.55 for 300 seeds. The item weight is 5 g. There is no food price per 100 g for that card.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want seed to sow, not a spoon for naan. SAFLAX is the top pick: 300 Nigella sativa seeds at about £4.55, rated 4.4 from 28 reviews. The card says perennial. The RHS describes an annual to about 30 cm, so follow that habit, and do not cook the packet as a weighed spice.
You want named nigella, also called kalonji, in a 250 g pouch. Busy Beans Organic is the best value here at about £6.95, which is £2.78 per 100 g, with 4.1 from 19 reviews. One review mentions grit, so look at the first spoon, and the organic control body is not named.
You already accept that this black cumin is not kalonji. Natco is 100 g from India at about £4.24, rated 4.6 from 141 reviews, the largest file in the set. Live listing text says it is not nigella. Skip it if you wanted Nigella sativa for bread or a sowing count.
The top pick is SAFLAX, 300 Nigella sativa seeds at about £4.55. It scores 77, the highest here, with 4.4 from 28 reviews, and it is the only sowing packet that names the plant and a seed count. The card’s perennial line and one no-germination note are the limit. Best value is Busy Beans Organic at about £6.95, a different ASIN: 250 g of named nigella and kalonji at £2.78 per 100 g, the lowest food unit price in this set, with 4.1 from 19 reviews. The organic control body is not named, and one review mentions grit. Skip SAFLAX if you want kalonji by the spoon. Skip Busy Beans if you need a sowing count or a GB-ORG code on the label.
Busy Beans Organic nigella seeds, 250 g
Lowest food price per 100 g among named nigella here, at £2.78, from a 250 g pouch at about £6.95 with 4.1 from 19 reviews.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these six listings were read on 19 October 2026, with live wording checked on 20 October 2026. Page updated 21 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Lee Burkhill (Garden Ninja) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are taken from those listings. We did not run a lab test.
