Rhamphospermum nigrum (syns. Mutarda nigra, Brassica nigra, and Sinapis nigra), black mustard, is an annual plant native to cooler regions of North Africa, temperate regions of Europe, and parts of Asia..It is cultivated for its dark-brown-to-black seeds, which are commonly used as a spice.

Description

thumb|Black mustard plants in [[Saarbrücken]]

thumb|Black mustard fruits at the [[Jardin des Plantes de Paris]]

thumb|Black mustard seeds

It is an upright plant, growing to in width and up to tall in moist, fertile soil. The large stalked leaves are covered with hairs or bristles at the base, with smoother stems.

It blooms in summer (from May onwards in the UK). The flowers have four yellow petals, which are twice as long as the sepals. Each stem has around four flowers This was based on a description by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus.

The Latin-specific epithet nigrum is derived from the Latin word for black. This is due to the black seeds.

In North Africa, it is found within Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Ethiopia, Morocco and Tunisia. Within Asia, it is found in Afghanistan, Armenia, the Caucasus, China (in the provinces of Gansu, Jiangsu, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Xizang), Cyprus, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel–Palestine, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. The plant was brought here centuries ago by Catholic missionaries during the era of Spanish exploration and colonization, as a food crop, according to Matt Loftis, a manager of Mountain Forestry Department at TreePeople in Los Angeles, California. It has since thrived unchecked, aided by a similar Mediterranean climate in Southern California.

Uses

The plant was used as a condiment more than 2,000 years ago; it was mentioned by the Roman author Columella in the 1st century CE. The plant leaves were also pickled in vinegar. In 13th-century France the seeds were ground and used. They were mixed with unfermented grape juice (must) to create "moût-ardent" ("burning must"). This became later "moutarde", with the seed coats removed. The small (1 mm) seeds are hard and vary in color from dark brown to black. They are flavorful, although they have almost no aroma. The seeds are commonly used in Indian cuisine, for example in curry, where it is known as rai. The seeds are usually thrown into hot oil or ghee, after which they pop, releasing a characteristic nutty flavor. The seeds have a significant amount of fatty oil, mainly oleic acid. This oil is used often as cooking oil in India, where it is called "sarson ka tel".

The young leaves, buds and flowers are edible.

Since the 1950s, black mustard has become less popular as compared to brown mustard, because some cultivars of brown mustard have seeds that can be mechanically harvested in a more efficient manner.

Folk medicine

In the UK, the plant was used to make "hot mustard baths", which would aid people with colds.

See also

  • Mustard plant
  • Mustard seed
  • Sinapis

References

  • Entry in Gernot Katzer's spice pages, with pictures and detailed information
  • Mustards