Brassica species

Black mustard, B. nigra and white or yellow, B. Alba, come from southern Europe and western Asia, brown, B. Juncea comes from India.

White mustard has been domesticated in Europe and North America for a long time. The Romans, who prepared mustard, brought the plant to England. In medieval Europe, mustard was one of the spices that people could afford.

In the 18th century, the French began to add other ingredients, while the English purified the powder by removing the scales before grinding the pit.

Today, mustard seeds are mostly used in the production of mustard.

FLAVOR

As such, mustard seeds do not have any aroma. When they are ground they have a pungent smell, and when cooked they release a hot, earthy aroma.

When chewed, the black seeds have a strong aroma; brown ones are slightly bitter, then hot and aromatic; the larger, white seeds have a slight sweetness at first.

USED ARE dry seeds.

PURCHASE AND STORAGE

White and brown mustard seeds are widely available. Black ones are hard to find; you can use brown instead, but they are much weaker.

Ground white mustard is relatively coarse and contains scales. Mustard powder is a finely sifted flour made from seed kernels; its bright yellow color comes from added turmeric.

Mustard in all its forms can last a long time if you store it in a dry place.

USE IN COOKING

In the kitchens of the West, whole white mustard seeds are used primarily as a spice for pickling and preserving vegetables and in marinades.

The brown seed (known as rai) is slowly displacing black mustard in Indian cuisine. They feature prominently in South Indian cuisine, where the whole seeds are first dry-fried or heated in hot oil or butter to release their nutty flavor for tadka or baghar. Dishes are not spicy because hot oil does not activate myrosinase.

In Bengal, ground fresh seeds are used for pastes in curries, especially fish in mustard sauce.

Mustard oil is deep golden and quite strong. It is made from the seeds of brown mustard and several lower species. It is widely used as a cooking oil, mostly in Bengal, where it is heated to smoking point, then cooled before use. Its spicy flavor contributes to the characteristic taste of many Indian dishes.

Mustard powder spices up barbecue sauces and meat dishes and goes well with most root vegetables. Since the heat dissipates its strength, add it at the end of cooking.

Not only the seeds of the plant are used. Fresh sprouts are often used in salads. In Japan, and now Europe, the beautiful, feathery mizuna is grown as a salad; it comes to the fore with Chinese red mustard and other types in gourmet mixes.

Chopped leaves make a pleasant garnish for root vegetables and potato and tomato salads. In Vietnam, the leaves are used to wrap pork, shrimp and herb fillings.

GOOD WITH apple cider vinegar, fruit, curry, chili, turmeric, cumin.