Brassica nigra
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| Brassica nigra L. |
Brassica nigra (black mustard) is an annual weedy plant cultivated for its seeds, which are commonly used as a spice. The plant is believed to be native to the southern Mediterranean region of Europe, and has been cultivated for thousands of years.
The spice is generally made from ground seeds of the plant, with the seed coats removed. The small (1 mm) seeds are hard and vary in color from dark brown to black. They are very flavorful, although they have almost no aroma. The seeds are commonly used in Indian cuisine, for example in curry. The seeds are usually thrown into hot oil or ghee after which they pop, releasing a characteristic 'nutty' flavor. The seeds have a significant amount of fatty oil. This oil is used often as cooking oil in India.
Ground seeds of the plant mixed with honey are widely used in eastern Europe as cough suppressant.
The plant itself can grow from 2 to 8 feet tall with racemes of small yellow flowers. These flowers are usually up to 1/3" across, with 4 petals each. Its leaves are covered in small hairs. The leaves can wilt on hot days, but recover at night.
Since the 1950s, black mustard has become less popular as compared to brown mustard (Brassica juncea) because some cultivars of brown mustard have seeds that can be mechanically harvested in a more efficient manner.
[edit] Similar plants
Black mustard is similar to white mustard (genus Sinapis), although black mustard has smaller seeds. Black mustard belongs to the same genus as cabbage.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Entry in Gernot Katzer's spice pages, with pictures and detailed information
- [1]
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