Mustard seeds found in excavations conducted both in antique Hellenic cities as well as in Egypt are 4000 years old. Until black pepper trade was started in 400 B.C., the most bitter taste and the cheapest ingredient known in the Mediterranean region was mustard seeds. The definition of mustard as we know it is encountered since the early Roman Empire epoch.

A mother who lost her only son asks Budha for help. Budha tells her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a household who hasn't lost a son, a husband, a mom, a dad or a friend. She cannot find a home in her village like this, so she realizes that death is for all and she can't be selfish in her grief...

There are 3 types of mustard. The one yielding black seeds is native to Europe and is the one with the sharpest taste. As it is however a difficult plant to grow, it is slowly relinquishing its place to brown mustard. Brown mustard is a black mustard and turnip hybrid. It is easier to grow and harvest. It has a medium sharp bitterness. Many ready-made European brands are made of brown mustard seeds. White/yellow mustard is native to Europe and less sharp than the other two. The biting, pungent feeling that reaches up to the nose is softer than in black or brown mustard. The white seed type is more used in American brands. English mustard is made of a mixture of white and brown seeds.

You can make mustard by soaking the seeds in water for a few hours and grinding them. Acid liquids like vinegar, wine and fruit juice are generally used to keep the pungent sharpness for a longer time. As cooking will soften this sharpness, it is suggested to be added toward the end of the cooking process.

Cucumber brings freshness to the taste of mustard.

When mustard seeds are cooked, as in several Indian recipes, the harsh bitterness is replaced by a tasteful sharpness.

We can use our grammar school experience on growing bean sprouts on white mustard seeds. In 2 weeks’ time, the sprouts will have reached 5 cm., which you can add to your salads.