Herbs & Spices

Mustard Seed / Rai

Mustard seeds come in three colours: black, white/yellow and brown. Black mustard is grown in Southern Europe and Western Asia, white/yellow mustard is grown in Europe and North America and brown mustard is grown in India.

Whole mustard has no aroma, but grinding releases strong, spicy and earthy aromas. White mustard is primarily sweet and does not have much flavour, even when ground, until it is added to a liquid. Black mustard is strong and pungent, brown mustard is slightly bitter and white mustard is initially sweet until the heat kicks in.

Black mustard is sometimes used to temper spices in Indian cuisine, but has been mostly replaced by brown mustard seeds, which are used predominantly in South India; where they are dry roasted or heated in hot oil to bring out an alluring nutty flavour. It is used in a ground powder form in Bengal, predominantly in curries; mustard oil tends to be widely used as a cooking oil here for its appetising flavour.

Black mustard and brown mustard powder is used in varying quantities in Patak's pickles, pastes and sauces.

Did you know?
A chemical reaction is responsible for creating the hot taste of mustard. When ground and mixed with water, two substances, sinigrine and myrosine combine to produce a molecule called isothyocyanate of allyle which produces a hot sensation in the mouth.