RAWYA
COMPANY INFO
Rawya is a registered trademark of HNF Foods Inc. The name "Rawya" is derived from the Turkish language, meaning “narrator” or “storyteller.” In our opinion, the branding appears to be inspired by one of the most recognized black seed oil brands in the Middle East, “Messenger Speech,” where "messenger" refers to the Prophet. Imitating successful trademarks is not uncommon in Turkish branding practices.
The product is distributed by HNF Foods Inc., based in Newark, New Jersey. On Amazon, the product description image identifies the actual producer as Farmeks, a Turkish company.
● On March 20, 2025, we reached out via email requesting detailed information and any existing lab analyses for their black seed oil. No response was received. As such, all information presented in this review was gathered through independent online research.
It’s worth mentioning that only three companies replied to our inquiries: Piping Rock, Bionatal, and Prime Natural.
PACKING AND SAFETY SEAL
The oil is packaged in a branded green glass bottle with a plastic cap featuring a tamper-evident neck ring for first-time use. The bottle is sealed with a durable black shrink wrap, and a plastic dropper insert is placed inside the neck. It is placed into the aluminum container for protection.
● The bottle’s sealing is secure and reliable, capable of preventing leaks even under high temperatures, when black seed oil can expand by up to 20% during transportation.
SEEDS ORIGIN
Rawya black seed oil is made from Turkish seeds, according to two sources: the website of the producer, Farmeks, and an image of product specification on Amazon.
OIL DISCRIPTION
Rawya black seed oil has a dark yellow, cloudy appearance and a pleasant herbal aroma, accompanied by a bitterness slightly stronger than medium.
In our assessment, this oil is virtually identical to other well-known brands such as Heritage Store, Piping Rock, Zhou Nutrition, Healths Harmony, and Freshfield, as well as to recognized Turkish-origin oils like Sweet Sunnah Premium, Kiva, Prime Natural, Maju, and Amazing Herbs Premium.
Some of our testers noted that Rawya's bitterness stands out, appearing noticeably stronger than in other brands with otherwise similar profiles. Under specific lighting, the oil also appears slightly darker than comparable products — a detail we also observed in Healths Harmony and Freshfield.
● This variation in color and bitterness may result from differences in farm elevation and regional climates across Turkey, particularly between the Black Sea and Mediterranean coastal areas.
Interestingly, the regular Rawya black seed oil was found to be indistinguishable from the Rawya Extra Strong version. In our opinion, there is no noticeable difference in color, taste, aroma, or bitterness between the two products.
THYMOQUINONE (TQ)
The TQ level is not listed on the product label, but a promotional image for Rawya claims a minimum thymoquinone content of 2%. Based on our testing and observations, we believe this is a reasonable claim, as Rawya exhibits the highest level of bitterness among all Turkish black seed oils we've reviewed — a common indicator of elevated TQ.
Other Turkish-origin oils with similar or lower bitterness levels have reported comparable TQ ranges (although none of the following brands have publicly released a certified TQ analysis):
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Maju and Rawya Extra Strong – Minimum 2%
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Sweet Sunnah Premium – 1.71%
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Freshfield – 1.64%
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Prime Natural and Kiva – Over 1.5%
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Amazing Herbs Premium – Minimum 1.2%
● As confirmed by experienced farmers, TQ content can vary even within the same country. This variation is influenced by factors such as farm elevation and regional climate. Turkey, being a mountainous country, has significant elevation differences between farms. Additionally, the northern Black Sea coast is much cooler than the southern Mediterranean coast, which is considerably warmer—both of which affect seed potency and TQ concentration.
TABLE OF ANALYSIS
Extraction oil videos & photos
YES
Acids pH level analyses
YES
Nigellon level
NO
Non-filtered oil with seeds
YES
Thymoquinone level
YES
Volatile Oils level
YES
Cold press method analyses
YES
Thymohydroquinone level
YES
Heavy Metals level analyses
YES
Thymol level
YES
Industry Clarifications:
(The following industry points are worth noting)
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"Unrefined" ≠ Non-Filtered: Even unrefined oils are typically filtered and don’t contain seed particles.
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"Cold Press" misuse on the label: The term is widely used without proof. True cold pressing should be validated by testing for compounds like Benzo(a)pyrene and related PAHs.
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"Organic" ≠ Pesticide-Free: USDA standards still allow natural pesticides (§§ 205.601 - 205.602). No Nigella sativa seeds are entirely free from them.
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"Non-GMO" claims are unnecessary: Nigella sativa is not genetically modified, and global demand doesn’t justify GMO cultivation.
FINAL RANKING #3-B
The #1 and #2 spots in our ranking are undoubtedly held by the world’s strongest black seed oils—both made from Ethiopian Nigella sativa seeds.
Rawya, a Turkish black seed oil officially confirmed by the company, stands out for its stronger bitterness and flavor compared to most other Turkish brands. While there's no noticeable difference between Rawya and Rawya Extra Strong, our team took on the task of evaluating both against other Turkish oils with a slight edge in taste flavor, such as Freshfield and Healths Harmony.
After a long testing period with over 10 real testers, we concluded that Rawya and Rawya Extra Strong have only a slight edge in taste flavor but not bitterness when compared to Freshfield and Healths Harmony. It’s also worth noting that both Freshfield and Healths Harmony do not disclose that their oil is sourced from Turkey — a lack of transparency that counts against them.
We kept both Rawya oils in the rankings because the brand has not made any misleading claims. While there’s no real difference between the two, the company hasn’t falsely promoted one as superior, which speaks to their honesty.
We award the #3 ranking with sub-position “A” to Rawya Extra Strong, largely because its name reflects a slightly more intense taste profile among Turkish oils. Regular Rawya is given sub-position “B.” However, both remain a step behind the far more potent Ethiopian black seed oils that dominate the top positions.
BRAND OWNERS:
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