Botanical: Sinapis alba
(white) Family: Cruciferae
(mustard) - Brassicaceae
(cabbage) Other common names:
White Mustard, Yellow
Mustard, Pepper Grass,
Hedge Mustard
Mustard seed is the
seed of the mustard
plant, a plant which
has been cultivated
for centuries for
both its greens and
seeds. Mustard
plants are in the
genus Brassica, and
a number of species
including B. nigra
and B. juncea are
cultivated for their
seeds. Mustard seeds
are used as a spice
in many cultures,
and they can be
found in a wide of
dishes. Many people
are also familiar
with the mustard
seed in the form of
the condiment
mustard, which is
made from ground and
typically pickled
mustard seeds.
Origin of Mustard
Seeds
Although the exact
origin of mustard
seeds is relatively
unknown, it is
believed that these
seeds must have been
used in the form of
spices by the French
during 800 AD. So
popular were these
seeds, that the
Spanish explorers
took them while on
voyage throughout
the entire 1400s.
The mustard seeds
find their place in
many ancient
Sanskrit writings,
written around 5000
year ago. In the New
Testament, the grain
of a mustard seed
has been compared
with the kingdom of
heaven. The
contemporary mustard
condiments were
originally developed
by the Ancient
Romans using these
mustard seeds.
Mustard seeds were
used in medicines by
many physicians,
including
Hippocrates, the
father of medicine.
Plant Description
and Cultivation
An erect herbaceous
annual. The white
variety (B. alba) is
hardy, growing to 80
cm (30 in), with
hairy stems and
lobed leaves. The
bright yellow
flowers yield hairy
fruit pods, 2.5 - 5
cm (1-2 in) long,
each containing
about six seeds.
Black mustard (B.
nigra) is a larger
plant than the
white, reaching to 1
m (39 in). Some
varieties reach
double this height.
The flowers are
smaller, as are the
fruit pods at 2 cm
(3/4 in) long. The
pods are smooth and
bulging, containing
about a dozen seeds.
Because of its
height black mustard
does not lend itself
well to mechanical
harvesting and since
the seed is readily
shed when ripe,
there is too much
waste for most
commercial growers.
As a result it has
almost completely
been replaced by the
brown variety.
Brown mustard (B. juncea) is similar
to black mustard in
size. It is the rai
of India. The leaves
are ovate and the
pods are 3 -5 cm
(1-1/4 to 2 in)
long.
Mustard pods must be
harvested before
they burst, that is
when they are nearly
fully developed but
not ripe.
Types of Mustard
Seeds
* Black Mustard:
Also known as
brassica nigra,
nigra being the
Latin word for
black. These seeds
have a very strong
and distinct flavor,
thus making them
very popular in
Indian and Southeast
Asian dishes
* Brown Mustard:
This variety is also
known as brassica
juncea. The term 'juncea'
means rush-like. The
brown mustard seeds
first originated in
the Himalayas. They
are used as garnish
but before that they
are toasted or fried
a little in oil
* White Mustard:
They are known as
Sinapis Alba/B.
Hirta alba meaning
white. The seeds are
light tanned, and
slowly end up as
bright yellow
mustard. These are
mainly used in
picklings and
marinades
Culinary Uses
1Whole white mustard
seed is used in
pickling spice and
in spice mixtures
for cooking meats
and seafood. It adds
piquancy to
Sauerkraut and is
sometimes used in
marinades. In India,
whole seeds are
fried in ghee until
the seed pops,
producing a milder
nutty flavour that
is useful as a
garnish or seasoning
for other Indian
dishes. The brown
seed is also pounded
with other spices in
the preparation of
curry powders and
pastes. Mustard oil
is made from B.
juncea, providing a
piquant oil widely
used in India in the
same way as ghee.
Powdered mustard
acts as an
emulsifier in the
preparation of
mayonnaise and salad
dressings. Powdered
mustard is also
useful for
flavouring barbecue
sauces, baked beans,
many meat dishes,
deviled eggs, beets
and succotash. There
are many ready-made
mustards from mild
and sweet to sharp
and strong. They can
be smooth or coarse
and flavoured with a
wide variety of
herbs, spices and
liquids.
American
ballpark-style
mustard is made from
the white seeds and
blended with sugar
and vinegar and
coloured with
turmeric.
Bordeaux
mustard is made from
black seeds blended
with unfermented
wine. The seeds are
not husked,
producing a strong,
aromatic, dark brown
mustard often
flavoured with
tarragon.
Dijon mustard
is made from the
husked black seeds
blended with wine,
salt and spices. It
is pale yellow and
varies from mild to
very hot. This is
the mustard
generally used in
classic French
mustard sauces,
salad dressings and
mayonnaise.
English
mustard is hot, made
from white seeds and
is sometimes mixed
with wheat flour for
bulk and turmeric
for colour.
German
mustard is usually a
smooth blend of
vinegar and black
mustard, varying in
strength.
Weisswurstsenf is a
course grained,
pale, mild mustard
made to accompany
veal sausages like
Bratwurst.
Meaux mustard
is the partly
crushed, partly
ground black seed
mixed with vinegar,
producing a crunchy,
hot mustard that
perks up bland
foods.
Indian Mustard French:
moutarde de Chine German:
Indischer Senf Italian:
senape Indiana Spanish:
mostaza India Indian:
kimcea, Phari rai,
rai
Health Benefits of
Mustard Seeds
Mustard Seed has
long been relied
upon to improve the
digestive system and
to promote a healthy
appetite. As an
irritant, Mustard
stimulates the
gastric mucous
membrane and
increases the flow
of gastric juices
(also having some
effect on pancreatic
secretions), all of
which help to
advance good
digestion.
Herbalists have also
used Mustard Seed to
relieve obstinate
hiccups.
The mucilage content
in Mustard Seed may
help to calm an
upset stomach due to
acid indigestion and
also produces a
laxative action.
Mustard Seed is a
stimulant that warms
and invigorates the
circulatory system,
encourages blood
flow, and is also
said to aid in the
metabolism of fat in
the body. It is also
considered a
diaphoretic, an
agent that helps to
increase
perspiration, which
can lower fever and
cleanse toxins from
the body through the
skin. This factor is
also useful for
colds and flu.
One of the oldest
uses of Mustard Seed
has been as an
emetic, a medicine
that provokes
vomiting. This is
especially valuable
when used in
narcotic poisoning
when it is desirable
to empty the stomach
without the
accompanying
depletion and
depression of the
system.
Used externally,
Mustard Seeds are
famous for their
rubefacient
properties by
dilating the blood
vessels and
increasing the blood
flow toward the
surface of the skin,
warming and
reddening the
affected area and
encouraging the
removal of toxins.
Poultices and
Mustard plasters are
a tried-and-true
remedy to relieve
the pain of
arthritic joints,
rheumatism,
sciatica, neuralgia,
neck pain, backache,
"charley horse," and
muscle pain.
Mustard Seed's
topical use also
extends to the
relief of
respiratory
infections when used
in baths, poultices,
and plasters.
Mustard Seed helps
treat bronchitis,
chest congestion,
pneumonia, croup,
and pleurisy.
History
Highly valued for
its oil content, the
Mustard plant was
well known to the
ancients and was
even mentioned five
times in the New
Testament, once as
"the greatest among
herbs." Mustard is a
hardy annual plant
that is widely
cultivated and also
found growing wild
in many parts of the
world, including the
fields and waste
places of North
America (except the
far northern parts).
It may grow to a
height of eight
feet. There are many
Mustards - Brassica
nigra (black),
Sinapis alba
(white), Brassica
juncea (brown) - and
they have provided
pungent flavorings,
green vegetables and
medicinal compounds
dating back to at
least 400 B.C., in
the West and were
first mentioned in
herbal medicine in
China in A.D. 659.
The Greek physician,
Dioscorides, used
Mustard as an
emetic, and Pliny
the Elder (23-79)
noted in his
Historia Naturalis
that Mustard grew
everywhere in Italy
and was not only a
great boon to
cuisine, but he also
listed forty medical
remedies with
Mustard as the chief
ingredient.
Mustard's name is
derived from the
Latin, mustum, the
new wine that Romans
mixed with the seed,
and ardens, meaning
"fiery." Mustard was
believed to have
strong aphrodisiac
powers and was
included in love
potions to stimulate
passion. In The
English Physitian
Enlarged (1653), the
herbalist, Culpeper,
highly recommended
Mustard Seed for
weak stomachs,
toothache, joint
pains, skin problems
and a "crick in the
neck." In England,
in 1699, John Evelyn
claimed that Mustard
Seed strengthened
the memory, revived
the spirits and
expelled heaviness.
Mustard plasters and
poultices have been
continually used
since ancient times
to cure chest
congestion,
bronchitis and
pneumonia, and also
to relieve
arthritis,
rheumatism and
muscle soreness. At
one time surgeons
disinfected their
hands with Mustard
paste, and it has
even been
administered in
footbaths to clear
congestion in the
head. The pungency
of Mustard develops
when cold water is
added to the ground
seed; an enzyme (myrosin)
acts on a glycoside
(sinigrin) to
produce the sulfur
compound, allyl
isothiocyanate.
Aside from the
volatile oil,
Mustard also
contains mucilage,
sinapine and
protein. As a spice
commodity, Mustard
is second only to
pepper in world
trade.
Recipe using Mustard
Seeds
One of the most
popular recipe used
in making mustard
seeds is the ginger
& yogurt chutney. It
not only tastes
great, but also aids
in proper digestion.
The ingredients
required for making
the ginger & yogurt
chutney are:
*½ cup ginger
(finely grated)
*½ teaspoon mustard
seeds
*Salt as per taste
*½ cup plain yogurt
*Few green chillies
*1 tablespoon
vegetable oil
*1 dried red chili
pepper (halved)
*Some curry leaves.
Methodology
Put ginger, green
chillies, salt and
two spoons of water
in blender and grind
them to make a thick
and smooth puree.
Add yogurt in the
puree and stir it
well. Now add some
oil in a pan and
heat it. Add mustard
seeds in the heated
oil. After some
time, as the seeds
start spluttering,
add the halved red
chili pepper and
curry leaves. Remove
them from the gas
and pour them over
the puree and stir
well.
Preparation and
Storage
Whole seeds are
included in most
pickling spices.
Seeds can also be
toasted whole and
used in some dishes.
Powdered mustard is
usually made from
white mustard seed
and is often called
mustard flour. When
dry, it is as bland
as cornstarch —
mixed with cool
water its pungency
emerges after a
glucoside and an
enzyme have a chance
to combine in a
chemical reaction
(about ten minutes).
Don’t use hot water
as it will kill the
enzyme and using
vinegar will stop
the reaction so that
its full flavour
will not develop.
Once the essential
oils have formed,
then other
ingredients can be
added to enhance the
taste: grape juice,
lemon or lime juice,
vinegar, beer, cider
or wine, salt,
herbs, etc.
Quality Assurance
We are a quality
focused company with
a emphasis on
providing hygienic
and top end quality
products to our
customers. Our
organization follows
a zero tolerance
policy when it comes
to the quality of
the foodstuffs. The
equipments and
machinery we have
installed in our
factory for
production and to
test quality
standards stand
testimony to our
quality policy.
* We are one of the
few spice exporters
in India to offer
spices conforming to
the important
physical, chemical
and microbiological
parameters as per
international
standards of
European and
American markets.
* We can steam and
sterilize spices to
control micro
contamination in
spices to required
levels.
* Our procurement
processes are
detailed and
supervised by a team
of professionals who
are experts in their
field. Products are
released in the
market after due
diligence on product
quality.
* We make all
efforts to achieve
our goal of complete
customer
satisfaction.
Packaging
We also provide
reliable packaging
of the cardamom seed
oil and other
cardamom products.
During the packaging
procedure, we keep
the hygienic level
high and also ensure
that there is no
human touch.
Moreover, the
packaging has also
helped in the easy
and safe delivery of
the products.
We are dealing with
various esteemed
clients located in
India as well as in
the markets of New
Zealand and Dubai.
We also promise to
serve a superlative
range of cardamom
and cardamom
products which
includes green
cardamom powder to
our new customers as
we serve to our
existing satisfied
clientele. The
frequent and
concrete feedbacks
from our customers
have also helped in
the advancement of
the managerial
activities and
serving the products
as per the demand
prevailing in the
market. Last but not
the least; we are
also looking forward
to provide more
beneficial deals in
the forthcoming
years.
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Sarson (mustard seed)
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hairy stems and
lobed leaves. The
bright yellow
flowers yield hairy
fruit pods, 2.5 - 5
cm (1-2 in) long,
each containing
about six seeds./mustardseedstypes.jpg)
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