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Mustard, Brown
The Mustard Plant
Different mustard plants produce the mustard seeds that are used as spices: Brassica hirta produces the yellow seeds commonly used for mild-flavored prepared mustards; seeds from Brassica juncea are used to make brown mustards (also known as Indian mustard); Brassica nigra produces black mustard seed; and Sinapsis alba produces a creamy white mustard seed.
An annual with small yellow flowers and spherical seeds, the mustard plant grows from one to six feet high and is a member of the Cruciferacea family. It grows wild and is cultivated around the world, including India, the northwest United States, and western Canada.
A Glance Back
One of the oldest spices, mustard is mentioned in Sanskrit records from 3000 BC. It was used in ancient Egypt and China to season food, and the Romans used it to flavor meat and fish. Since ancient times, the plants were served in salads and the seeds were used to preserve and season foods as well as for medicinal purposes. In fact, Pythagoras mentions a mustard seed poultice as a remedy for scorpion bites in 530 BC. Hippocrates suggests it medicinally as well, and it's also mentioned in the Bible. When Alexander the Great received a bag of sesame seeds from King Darius the 3rd of Persia, as a symbol of his large army, he boldly reciprocated with a bag of mustard seed, showing that his soldiers were also great in number--and powerful to boot.
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Using Mustard
Ground mustard seed can be used to make condiments, pickles, and relishes. It adds flavor to a variety of dressings, mayonnaise, sauces (hollandaise sauce in particular), as well as processed meats and sausages. English cooks use mustard with ham and roast beef, and Japanese cooks serve an oriental brown mustard sauce with raw fish. In the Caribbean, mustard is an ingredient in sauces for fruit, and in Indian cooking, the nutty flavor of mustard seed is enhanced by cooking in hot oil before adding it to dhals, chutneys, curries, and sauces.
Add mustard to any dish where you want more warmth. It works well in combination with other spices like pepper and chilies. Try it in deviled eggs, bean, cheese, ham and pork dishes, in barbecue and cocktail sauces, and in soups, chowders and bisques. It's good with avocado, beets, cabbage, and sauerkraut. Add some to the pickle jar to help prevent scum from forming during pickling, too.
It's helpful to know that mustard doesn't become really hot until a non-acid liquid (preferably cold) is added to the seed. (Water will release the heat, but vinegar won't, for example.) The best way to fully release the flavor, then, is to mix the seed with warm water for about ten minutes before adding it to a recipe. To stop the development of the flavor, on the other hand, you can add an acidic liquid, like lemon juice, vinegar, or wine, to your recipe. |
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