Mustard

Mustard
Wild Mustard (Brassica campestris)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Brassicales Family: Brassicaceae
Species
See text.

Wild White Mustard (Sinapis alba)

Indian Mustard Flower (Brassica juncea L. Czern)

Yellow Mustard seeds

Black Mustard seeds

Mustard is the common name for several plant species in the genera Brassica and Sinapis of the Brassicaceae (or Cruciferae) family, and in particular Sinapis hirta (white or yellow mustard), Brassica juncea (brown or Indian mustard) and Brassica nigra (black mustard), whose whose small mustard seeds are used as a spice and, by grinding and mixing them with water, vinegar or other liquids, are turned into a condiment also known as mustard. The seeds are also pressed to make mustard oil, and the edible leaves can be eaten as mustard greens.

Description

The species of mustard belong to the flowering plant family Brassicaceae (or Cruciferae), also known as the crucifers, the mustard family, or the cabbage family. (Cruciferae is an older name for the family. It means "cross-bearing," because the four petals of their flowers are reminiscent of a cross.)

The family contains species of great economic importance, providing much of the world's winter vegetables. In addition to mustard, these include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, collards, and kale (all cultivars of one species, Brassica oleracea), Chinese kale, rutabaga (also known as Swedish turnips or swedes), seakale, turnip, radish and kohl rabi. Other well known members of the Brassicaceae include rapeseed (canola and others), watercress, horseradish, and wasabi.

Brassicaceae consists only of herbaceous plants with annual, biennial or perennial lifespans. The leaves are alternate (rarely opposite), sometimes organized in basal rosettes. They are very often pinnately incised and do not have stipules.

The structure of the flowers is extremely uniform throughout the family. They have four free saccate sepals and four clawed free petals, staggered. They can be disymmetric or slightly zygomorphic, with a typical cross-like arrangement. They have six stamens, four of which are longer (as long as the petals, so relatively short in fact) and are arranged in a cross like the petals and the other two are shorter (tetradynamous flower). The pistil is made up of two fused carpels and the style is very short, with two lobes. Superior ovary. The flowers form ebracteate racemose inflorescences, often apically corymb-like.

Pollination occurs by entomogamy; Nectar is produced at the base of the stamens and stored on the sepals.

Brassicaceae fruit is a peculiar kind of capsule named siliqua (plural siliquae, American English silique/siliques). It opens by two valves, which are the modified carpels, leaving the seeds attached to a framework made up of the placenta and tissue from the junction between the valves (replum). There is often an indehiscent beak at the top of the style and one or more seeds may be borne there. Where a siliqua is less than three times as long as it is broad, it is usually termed a silicula. The siliqua may break apart at constrictions occurring between the segments of the seeds, thus forming a sort of loment (e.g. Raphanus); it may eject the seeds explosively (e.g. Cardamine); or may be evolved in a sort of samara (e.g. Isatis). Unsurprisingly the fruit is often the most important diagnostic character for plants in this family.

Mild white mustard (Sinapis hirta) grows wild in North Africa, the Middle East and Mediterranean Europe and has spread farther by long cultivation; brown or Indian mustard (B. juncea), originally from the foothills of the Himalaya, is grown commercially in the UK, Canada and the US; black mustard (B. nigra) in Argentina, Chile, the US and some European countries. Canada grows 90% of all the mustard seed for the international market. The Canadian province of Saskatchewan produces almost half of the world's supply of mustard seed.

In addition to the mustards, the genus Brassica also includes cabbages, cauliflower, rapeseed and turnips.

Although the varieties of mustard are well-established crops in Hellenistic and Roman times, which leads to the assumption that it was brought into cultivation at an earlier time, Zohary and Hopf note that "there are almost no archeological records available for any of these crops." Wild forms of mustard and its relatives the radish and turnip can be found over west Asia and Europe, suggesting that their domestication took place somewhere in that area. However Zohary and Hopf conclude, "Suggestions as to the origins of these plants are necessarily based on linguistic considerations."

There has been recent research into varieties of mustards that have a high oil content for use in the production of biodiesel, a renewable liquid fuel similar to diesel fuel. The biodiesel made from mustard oil has good cold flow properties and cetane ratings. The leftover meal after pressing out the oil has also been found to be an effective pesticide. [1]

An interesting genetic relationship between many species of mustard has been observed, and is described as the Triangle of U.

Mustard seeds (top left) may be ground (top right) to make different kinds of mustard. The four mustards pictured are a simple table mustard with turmeric coloring (center left), a Bavarian sweet mustard (center right), a Dijon mustard (lower left), and a rough French mustard made mainly from black mustard seeds (lower right).

Mustard is a thick yellowish-brown paste with a sharp taste made from the ground seeds of a mustard plant (white or yellow mustard, Sinapis hirta; brown or Indian mustard, Brassica juncea; or black mustard, Brassica nigra). The mustard seeds are mixed with water, vinegar or other liquids, as well as other flavorings and spices. A strong mustard can cause the eyes to water, burn the palate and inflame the nasal passages.

History

The Romans most likely developed the prepared mustards we know today. They mixed unfermented grape juice, known as "must," with ground mustard seeds (called sinapis) to form mustum ardens, or "burning must."

Varieties

Mustard, yellow Nutritional value per 100 g
Energy 70 kcal   280 kJ
Carbohydrates     8 g - Sugars  3 g - Dietary fiber  3 g   Fat 3 g Protein 4 g Sodium  1120 mg 75%
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database

There are many varieties of mustard which come in a wide range of strengths and flavors. The basic taste and "heat" of the mustard is largely determined by seed type, preparation and ingredients. Black seeded mustard is generally regarded as the hottest type. Preparation also plays a key role in the final outcome of the mustard. Mustard, in its powdered form, lacks any potency; it is the production of Allyl isothiocyanate from the reaction of myrosinase and sinigrin that causes heat to be present.

Locations renowned for their mustard include Dijon (medium strength) and Meaux in France; Norwich (very hot) and Tewkesbury, famed for its variety, in the United Kingdom; and Düsseldorf (hot) and Bavaria in Germany. There are variations in the subsidiary spices and in the preparation of the mustard seeds. The husks may be ground with the seeds, or winnowed away after the initial crushing; "whole-grain mustard" retains some unground or partially ground mustard seeds. Bavarian "sweet mustard" contains very little acid, substituting copious amounts of sugar for preservation. Sometimes prepared mustard is simmered to moderate its bite, sometimes it is aged. Irish mustard is a wholegrain type blended with whiskey and or honey.

Dijon mustard

Dijon mustard is not covered by a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) under the auspices of the European Union; thus, while there are major mustard plants in Dijon and suburbs, most Dijon mustard is manufactured outside of Dijon.

Dijon mustard originated in 1856, when Jean Naigeon of Dijon substituted verjuice, the acidic "green" juice of not-quite-ripe grapes, for vinegar in the traditional mustard recipe.

Mustards from Dijon today generally contain both white wine and burgundy wine, and most mustards marketed as Dijon style today contain one or both of these ingredients.

Wholegrain

In wholegrain mustard, the seeds are not ground, but mixed whole with other ingredients. Different flavors and strengths can be achieved by using different blends of mustard seed species. Some variations have additives such as sun-dried tomato mustard and chili mustard.

Honey Mustard

Honey mustard, as the name suggests, is a blend of Dijon mustard and honey. It is most often used as a topping for sandwiches and as a side for dipping french fries, onion rings, and other finger foods. It can also be used as a base for salad dressing when combined with vinegar and/or olive oil. The most basic form of honey mustard can be created by combining equal amounts of honey and mustard; however, most varieties incorporate other ingredients to add flavor, adjust texture, or change other properties.

Culinary uses

A cooked hot dog garnished with mustard

Mustard is most often used as a condiment on meat, especially cold meats. It is also used as an ingredient in mayonnaise and vinaigrette, in marinades and barbecue sauce. It can also be used as a base for salad dressing when combined with vinegar and/or olive oil. Mustard is a popular accompaniment to hot dogs and Bratwurst.

Dry mustard, typically sold in tins, is used in cooking and can be mixed with water to become prepared mustard.

Prepared mustard is generally sold in glass jars or plastic bottles. Prepared mustard stored for a long period of time is prone to separation, causing mustard water. Shaking the closed jar/bottle prior to opening is recommended.

Idioms

"To cut the mustard" means to achieve the desired standard.

See also

• Mount Horeb Mustard Museum
• Condiment

External links

Recipes

• Mustard recipes and sauces
• Mustard (seed) recipes
• Mustard recipes, from recipezaar.com
• Recipes with Mustard
• Recipe for honey mustard
• Recipe for honey mustard dressing

History

• Global Gourmet: Michele Anna Jordan on the history of a condiment
• The Golden History of Dijon Mustard

Other links

• Common Varieties of Mustard
• What Makes Mustard So Mustardy? (from The Straight Dope)
• World's Healthiest Foods: Mustard
• UCLA, Medicinal spices: Mustard
• Description of the many different edible types of mustard greens, on innvista.com

Notes

Credits

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