Black seed products come from several countries in and around the Mediterannean basin and Asia. The top producers as far as quantity OR quality include Turkey, Syria, India, Egypt, and Ethiopia.
There are a few tell-tale signs that indicate a country of origin’s place in the black seed market.
For starters, you can look at the amount of black seeds or related products the country grows or exports, as well as their capacity to grow them. For example,Turkey is a very mountainous country that just doesn’t have the topography required to grow a large amount of black seeds.
Another warning sign is the quantity the country is producing. For example, India is considered the top producer of black seeds, but they’re like the China of seed manufacturing. They may have the most seeds, but the quality and good growing practices aren’t there. Instead, they’re trying to mass produce lower-quality products, like black seeds, to bring down the price and essentially dilute the product.
Also, consider what else the country grows. Are black seeds a commodity, or is it something they specialize in? Have they been growing these seeds for centuries (like Egypt), or are they just getting started with this crop because it’s trendy?
Looking at all of these factors, we’ve found that Turkey has the lowest quality of black seeds, while Ethiopia has the highest quality.
Turkey is not a big producer of black seeds, nor are they exporting these seeds to other countries. In fact, Turkey purchases seeds from India and Ethiopia to make some of their black seed oil products.
Ethiopia has found an ideal balance of crop growth, quality, and a genuine understanding of black seeds and the benefits they offer. For Ethiopians, growing black seeds isn’t just a business, but also part of the culture that’s been passed down through generations