Nigella is a punchy spice that releases a mild heat on the tongue and has a slightly bitter, herby, charred onion-like flavour. It is widely used in Indian cooking and its preservative properties make it a fine pickling spice for fruit and vegetables.
Look to the secondary flavour compounds of nigella for effective spice pairings: significant concentrations of cymene give the spice its earthy, fresh aroma, and smaller amounts of the mild terpenes pinene and limonene are also present.
