mustard

mustard
/mus"teuhrd/, n.
1. a pungent powder or paste prepared from the seed of the mustard plant, used as a food seasoning or condiment, and medicinally in plasters, poultices, etc.
2. any of various acrid or pungent plants, esp. of the genus Brassica, as B. juncea (leaf mustard), the leaves of which are used for food and is the chief source of commercial mustard, and Sinapis alba (white mustard). Cf. mustard family.
4. cut the mustard, Slang. to reach or surpass the desired standard of performance: a pitcher who cuts the mustard with his fastball.
[1300-50; ME < OF moustarde a relish orig. made of mustard seed and must, equiv. to moust MUST2 + -arde -ARD]

* * *

▪ plant and condiment
 any of several herbs belonging to the mustard family of plants, Brassicaceae (Cruciferae), or the condiment made from these plants' pungent seeds. The leaves and swollen leaf stems of mustard plants are also used, as greens, or potherbs. The principal types are white, or yellow, mustard (Sinapis alba), a plant of Mediterranean origin; and brown, or Indian, mustard (Brassica juncea), which is of Himalayan origin. The latter species has almost entirely replaced the formerly used black mustard (Brassica nigra), which was unsuitable for mechanized cropping and which now occurs mainly as an introduced weed. Both white and brown mustard are grown as spring-sown annual crops whose dry seeds are harvested in early autumn. From very small seedlings, the plants grow rapidly and enter a phase of dense flowering; the blooms have an intense yellow colour. The plants reach their full height of 1.5 to 2 m (5 to 61/2 feet) as their flowers fade and after numerous green seedpods appear on their branches. The 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 flourish on many different types of soil, suffer from unusually few insect pests or plant diseases, and tolerate extremes of weather without serious harm.

      The use of mustard seeds as a spice has been known from the earliest recorded times and is described in Indian and Sumerian texts dating back to 3000 BC. Mustard plants are mentioned frequently in Greek and Roman writings and in the Bible. In the New Testament, the tiny mustard seed is a symbol of faith. Mustard seed was used medicinally by Hippocrates, among other ancient physicians. During the 20th century, the use of mustard as a spice or condiment has grown to the extent that it is by far the largest spice by volume in world trade. Mustard is unusual among spices in that it is mainly grown in the temperate regions of the world, principally on the Canadian and American Great Plains, in Hungary and in Britain, and in lesser amounts in other countries. In the main producing countries, the crop production of mustard is fully mechanized.

      Mustard seeds, both white and brown, are nearly globular in shape, finely pitted, odourless when whole, and pungent-tasting. White mustard seeds are light yellow in colour and about 2.5 mm (1/10 inch) in diameter; brown mustard seeds are about the same size but are a darker yellow in colour. The seeds of both types contain similar constituents: about 30 to 40 percent vegetable oil, a slightly smaller proportion of protein, and a strong enzyme called myrosin. When dry or when ground into a flour, the seeds are odourless, but when the seed is chewed or when the flour is mixed with water, a chemical reaction between two of the constituents within mustard, an enzyme and a glucoside, produces an oil that is not present as such in the plant. In brown mustard this action yields the volatile oil of mustard, which has a pungent, irritating odour and an acrid taste. In white mustard the result is sinalbin mustard oil, a nonvolatile oil that has very little odour but produces a sensation of heat on the tongue.

      As a condiment, mustard is sold in three forms: as seeds, as dry powder that is freshly mixed with water for each serving to obtain the most aroma and flavour, and prepared as a paste with other spices or herbs, vinegar or wine, and starch or flour to tone down the sharpness. The differing flavours of white and brown mustard are used in different condiments; the pungent brown is used in French-type paste mustards, and the white is used in milder American- or German-type pastes, while both types are used in English mustard products. Mustard is widely used as a condiment with various foods, particularly cold meats, sausages, and salad dressings. It is also used as an ingredient in mayonnaises, sauces, and pickles. Mustard plasters were formerly used in medicine for their counterirritant properties in treating chest colds and other ailments.

      Brown mustard, which is related to rapeseed, is grown as a source of vegetable oil and is an important crop for this purpose in northern India, Pakistan, China, southern Russia, and Kazakhstan. The oil is used for food or for industrial purposes, with the residual cake used for animal feed.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mustard — may refer to: Contents 1 The mustard plant and its products 2 Other uses 2.1 Names 2.2 Fictional names …   Wikipedia

  • Mustard — Mus tard, n. [OF. moustarde, F. moutarde, fr. L. mustum must, mustard was prepared for use by being mixed with must. See {Must}, n.] 1. (Bot.) The name of several cruciferous plants of the genus {Brassica} (formerly {Sinapis}), as {white mustard} …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • MUSTARD — (Heb. חַרְדָּל, ḥardal), the name applied to two species, the common mustard (Sinapis alba), known in rabbinical literature as Egyptian mustard, and the kind called simply mustard. The latter was extracted from the seeds of a different botanical… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • mustard — (n.) late 13c. (late 12c. as a surname), from O.Fr. mostarde mustard, mustard plant (Mod.Fr. moutarde), from moust must, from L. mustum new wine (see MUST (Cf. must) (n.1)); so called because it was originally prepared by adding must to the… …   Etymology dictionary

  • mustard — [mus′tərd] n. [ME mustarde < OFr moustarde < moust, must < L mustum (see MUST3): orig. prepared with must as an ingredient] 1. any of several annual herbs (genus Brassica) of the crucifer family, with yellow flowers and slender pods… …   English World dictionary

  • mustard — ► NOUN 1) a hot tasting yellow or brown paste made from the crushed seeds of a plant, eaten with meat or used in cooking. 2) a brownish yellow colour. ORIGIN Old French moustarde, from Latin mustum must (because mustard was originally prepared… …   English terms dictionary

  • Mustard — William T., Canadian thoracic surgeon, 1914–1987. See M. operation, M. procedure. * * * mus·tard məs tərd n 1) a pungent yellow condiment consisting of the pulverized seeds of the black mustard or sometimes the white mustard either dry or made… …   Medical dictionary

  • mustard — 1. The dried ripe seeds of Brassica alba (white m.) and B. nigra (black m.) (family Cruciferae). 2. SYN: m. gas. [O.Fr. moustarde, fr. L. mustum, must] black m. the dried ripe seed of Brassica nigra or of B. juncea; it is the source of allyl… …   Medical dictionary

  • mustard — [[t]mʌ̱stə(r)d[/t]] mustards 1) N MASS Mustard is a yellow or brown paste usually eaten with meat. It tastes hot and spicy. ...a pot of mustard... Thinly paint the lamb with Dijon mustard. 2) N UNCOUNT Mustard is a small plant with yellow flowers …   English dictionary

  • mustard — /ˈmʌstəd / (say mustuhd) noun 1. a pungent powder or paste prepared from the seed of the mustard plant, much used as a food seasoning or condiment, and medicinally in plasters, poultices, etc. 2. any of various species of Brassica and allied… …  

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”