Qizha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 A jar of qizha paste | |
| Alternative names | Black tahini |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Palestine |
| Associated cuisine | Palestinian cuisine |
| Main ingredients | Nigella sativa seeds |
Qizha (Arabic: قزحة, romanized: qizḥa, pronounced ʼezḥa in Palestine) is a black seed paste used in Palestinian cuisine. Made from crushed nigella seeds, the paste has a sharp, bitter taste with slight tones of sweetness.[1][2] The paste can be used with other condiments, such as tahini, or baked into pies, breads, and pastries.[1]
The word Qizha can refer to the paste made from nigella seeds, or to the nigella plant itself.[3]
The paste is also referred to as black tahini, not to be confused with the "black tahini" made from black sesame, which is referred to with that same name.[4][2]
Production
Qizha is made from the seeds of Nigella sativa of the buttercup family of plants, which is native to the Middle East and India. The seeds, sometimes known as "black cumin", are soaked in salt water for a night, oven roasted, left on rocks to dry in the sun, and finally ground to make a paste.[5] Some sources consider the cities of Nablus and Jenin to be the source of the best-quality qizha.[2][6]
According to Roads & Kingdoms, tahini factories in Nablus have been making qizha since at least the 1910s.[7]
