Description

Pyaaz Beej — onion seeds — are the small, black, angular seeds of Allium cepa, the common bulb onion, a member of the family Amaryllidaceae domesticated in the Iranian Plateau or Central Asia over five thousand years ago and now the world’s most widely cultivated allium. Distinguished from the bulb commercially, the seeds contain flavonoids, sulfur-containing compounds, and fixed oil. In Unani pharmacopoeia, onion seeds (Buzrul Basal) are documented for preparations addressing male reproductive vitality, urinary conditions, and as digestive stimulants. The seeds should not be confused with Nigella sativa (kalonji), with which they share a superficially similar appearance. India is among the world’s leading onion producers, with Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka as primary growing states. The seeds are collected during commercial onion seed production in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.