Ingredient of the Week

Mustard - (Genus: Brassica and Sinapis)

What is it?   You may be surprised to know that the mustard family includes broccoli, radishes, turnips, cress, and horseradish!  Mustard leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers are all edible.  The seeds range from yellow and white (Sinapis hirta), which are the mildest, to brown (Brassica juncea), which is found in Mediterranean, African, German, English-style, and Chinese-style mustard, to black (Brassica nigra), the most pungent, which is often used in Indian cuisine.   

Bit 'O History:  The mustard plant has been popular for centuries partially due to its antibacterial properties, its ability to aid in digestion, its high protein content, and its edible oil (containing the chemical thiocynanate) that produces a hotness ranging from mild to biting depending on how it is prepared.  It was the Romans who blended acids such as must of grape juice, honey, or vinegar with crushed seeds to form the condiment known as mustard.   Although there have been many theories to how mustard got its name, cutting (diluting) the grain with a must of wine may have given rise to the term mustard and to the phrase “to cut the mustard.”  Mustard was introduced to the United States by the Spaniards around 1768 and became a staple in kitchens during the Middle Ages as it improved the taste of salted meats.  In the 1800’s, R.T. French created a much milder version of yellow mustard that gained popularity as a topping for hot dogs and hamburgers which have continued to be favorite foods in the United States.    

     Today, there is a plethora of flavored mustard in the grocery store.  Just take your pick. Be it garlic, champagne, chilies, or apple-cider flavored, you have choices!  Better yet, make your own stone ground mustard, and be the hit of the dinner table.

Paired With:  Mustard goes well with meat.  Since it is St. Patrick’s Day this week, A Better World Cafe is serving up some mean corned beef.  That is right, a Kobe beef brisket cured in a well-seasoned brine and layered upon rye bread made from scratch by the Elijah Promise’s Culinary School.

Fun Facts:  There is a National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin.

Cooking:  Use a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle to crush mustard seeds of choice (white, yellow, brown, black, or a little bit of each); or rather, begin with dry mustard.  Combine an acid such as white wine or apple-cider vinegar to the crushed seeds or water to the mustard powder to make a paste.  Add a bit of salt, pepper, and a dash of allspice to balance the flavor.  Try in potato salad or in a salad dressing.  Be bold and kick up the spice of diluted dry mustard with some wasabi to make a hot dipping sauce, or better yet, mix up a coarsely ground spread for a corned beef sandwich.

References

Katz, S. H., & Weaver, W. W. (Eds.).  (2003).  Encyclopedia of Food and Culture (Vol. 3).  (pp. 545-547).  New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.

Toussaint-Samat, M. (2009).  A History of Food (2^nd ed.).  West Sussex, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons.