Common
Name:
Brown Mustard
Scientific
Name: Brassica juncea, belonging to the
Brassicaceae family, which is part of the order Brassicales, class Angiosperms.
The
leaves of brown mustard are pale green. A few hairs are present on the upper
leaflets and the leaf blades attached to the petiole. Mature plants reach a
height of 1 to 2 meters. The lower leaves are deeply lobed, while the upper
leaves are narrow and entire. The inflorescence is a long raceme, and the
flowers are pale yellow and open from the bottom upwards, i.e., from the base
to the tip. The pods are slightly compressed and measure 2.5 to 5 cm in length,
excluding the beak. The beak is 0.5 to 1 cm long. The seeds are round and may
be yellow or brown.
Culinary
Uses: Brown mustard has many uses: it is used to produce
oil from the seeds, and it is also used as a vegetable and animal feed.
Brown
mustard leaves are eaten as a vegetable in Africa and many parts of Asia. They
are often chopped, cooked, and served as a side dish with the main course.
Older leaves and leaves of plants that have dried out are very bitter. When
using them, the cooking water should be changed once. Young, tender leaves are
used with other vegetables in salads.
In
Asia, brown mustard leaves are used in pickles or served as frozen or canned
vegetables. Brown mustard seeds are used to garnish salads or to add a spicy
flavor. In East Asia, a type of brown mustard known as *Tai Tau Choi* plants,
with its large roots, is prepared and eaten like turnip roots (Brassica
oleracea L.). Another type, *Cha Tsoi*, produces thick, swollen stems that are
preserved in brine and pressed to extract most of their cellular juices, then
eaten as pickles.
In
Asia, Europe, and America, *Brassica junisi* is primarily cultivated for its
seeds, which are used to make brown mustard or to extract vegetable oil. Brown
mustard is considered to have a superior flavor to yellow mustard, which is
made from black mustard (Brassica nigra). Mustard oil is a major and preferred
cooking oil in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan due to its distinctive and
pungent taste. In neighboring parts of the former Soviet Union, mustard oil is
used as a substitute for olive oil.
In
Western countries, its use in cooking is discouraged due to its high erucic
acid content.
Brown
mustard oil is used as a hair oil and lubricant. Varieties bred for high erucic
acid levels are used for industrial purposes.
In
the West, brown mustard is used to prevent fermentation in cider production.
The
seeds, mixed with other seeds, are also used as bird feed. Although the seed
flour is rich in protein, its high glucosinolate content makes it unsuitable
for humans or monogastric animals.
Medicinal
Uses: Brown mustard is an analgesic, diuretic, emetic,
and tonic. It is used to treat bronchitis, arthritis, foot pain, back pain, and
rheumatism.
In
China, the seeds are used to treat tumors. Eating mustard may cause the body to
emit a mosquito-repellent odor.
Placing
brown mustard leaves on the forehead is said to relieve headaches.
In
Korea, the leaves are eaten in soups to treat bladder infections or bleeding,
and the seeds are used to treat abscesses, colds, back pain, rheumatism, and
stomach upsets.
In
Tanzania, brown mustard oil is used to treat rashes and sores.
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