Origin: Mustard seeds are a member of the Brassica family of plants. These plants bear very small, round, edible seeds and tasty leaves. The word Mustard is derived from the Latin word mustum ardens meaning "burning must." The word mustard is given referring to the spicy heat of the crushed mustard seeds.
The condiment mustard or mustard sauce is made from the seeds of the mustard plant and is consumed all over the world. The seeds are only flavorful once cracked, and mixed with the liquid to make a sauce. The culinary history of mustard as a condiment is very popular and widely used.
Mustard seeds have been one of the most widely grown and used spices in the world for many centuries. It is believed that mustard seeds have originated in Ancient Egypt. The Greeks used to use Mustard as a medicine and a spice. The Romans imitated the Greeks and used it as both food and medicine. They used to use it to cure plague, hysteria and snake bites.
The Romans brought Mustard to Northern France where it was cultivated by Monks. By the 9th century, Monasteries were famous for producing large amounts of income from Mustard sales.
In France, the origin of the word mustard is believed to have come from the word Mosto or grape muss, a young unfermented wine which was supposed to be mixed with ground Mustard seeds by the French Monks.
Scientifically: Mustard belongs to the mustard family of plants called Brassicaceae (Cruciferae). The leaves and swollen leaf stems of mustard plants are also used for the culinary purpose and as herbs. Mustard seeds are basically of two types white or yellow, mustard (Sinapis alba) which is a plant of Mediterranean origin and there is a brown type which is an Indian type, this is usually the Himalayan origin. Both white and brown mustard are usually grown as spring-sown annual crops and these dry seeds are harvested in early autumn. From very small seedlings, the plants usually grow from very small seedlings and they grow rapidly and later enter a phase of dense flowering. The mustard flowers are yellow in colour and the height of the plant is around 1.5 to 2 metres (5 to 61/2feet) as their flowers fade and numerous green seedpods appear on their branches. These pods of brown mustard contain up to 20 seeds each, those of white mustard contain up to 8 seeds. Mustard plants are easy and inexpensive to grow. They can easily grow on different types of soil and can tolerate any kind of temperature or weather.
Usage: Apart from the taste and culinary benefits and easy availability of mustard seeds, you can also find a number of health benefits of it. Mustard seeds are used for making mustard oil, and different food items. Mustard seeds are used to help in treating cancer because of the presence of phytochemicals. It helps in relieving rheumatic arthritis and treating migraine. Mustard seeds are a great source of dietary fibre as well. It also has numerous skin and hair benefits.
Below are some DIYs for beautiful skin and hair:
- Take a tablespoon of ground mustard seeds and add some lavender oil to it. Use this mixture to exfoliate the skin. This helps in removing the dead skin.
- Take a teaspoon of ground mustard seeds and add some fresh aloe vera pulp to it. Apply this mixture to the face and let it dry for 10 minutes. Rinse and you’ll get the refreshed, hydrated skin.
- Mustard seed oil is a great oil for hair. Applying mustard seed oil helps in strengthening and nourishing hair.
- Take some warm mustard oil and gently massage on the body joints. This helps to relieve joint pains.