Nigella sativa is sold as kalonji, is a component of the Bengali spice mix panch poran. It is sometimes refered to as 'wild black onion seed' but is no relation. In Indian cuisine, it is commonly used as a garnish on naan (bread) and in an Iranian chicken dish. Black cumin is Bunium Persicum, and is used extensively in regional cuisine of Kashmir and Jammu, and possibly the Punjab. It is blacker than ordinary cumin, thinner, maybe a little longer, and has a slight medicinal smell/taste. It is harvested from the wild in K&J;, as the seed is very difficult to germinate. It is very often confused with caraway, which is probably not grown in India (to be confirmed) Katzer (private comm)found no evidence of it in N India, only Bunium Persicum. Waaza 9th July 2005