Mustard

About

Mustard seed comes mainly in two common types: yellow, from Sinapis alba, which is mild, and brown, from Brassica juncea, which is notably hotter. A third variety, black mustard (Brassica nigra), is considered by some to have the best flavor but is difficult to cultivate and has largely been replaced commercially by brown mustard. Mustard's heat and flavor develop only when the seeds are crushed and moistened; cold water produces the hottest result, since both heat and acidity suppress the reaction responsible for pungency. Brown mustard seed has a complex flavor, nutty, cabbage-like, metallic, and sometimes slightly burnt, that turns sharply appetizing against sweet or fatty foods when combined with vinegar and salt, while yellow mustard seed offers a milder, nutty sweetness before its pungency develops. This category also includes mustard oil.

Pairs well with mustard

• SuEggA common technique for deviled eggs mixes the yolks with Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and a pinch of cayenne.
• FrTomatoIn Iris Murdoch's novel The Sea, The Sea, the fussy narrator Charles Arrowby serves fish with ketchup and mustard, remarking that "only a…
• SuGarlicAntoine Maille, who founded his eponymous mustard house in 1747, pioneered flavored mustards including garlic and truffle versions, both…
• SpCinnamonHistoric Tewkesbury mustard combined mustard, horseradish, and occasionally cinnamon, rolled into balls to be reconstituted with liquid as…
• FrAppleThe liquid used to hydrate mustard seeds or powder changes the finished mustard's flavor, food writer Florence White, in her 1932 book…
• RoChocolateA small amount of mustard powder, around half a teaspoon per dozen cookies, can work as a subtle flavor enhancer in chocolate cookies,…
• CrCoconutCoconut's mellow sweetness balances mustard's sharpness, a pairing common in Bengali cuisine, particularly in fish sauces.
• EaMushroomMushrooms serve as an umami-rich substitute for beef in stroganoff, though extra nutmeg and paprika are often added to compensate for the…
• ChCheeseMustard's cruciferous tang famously cuts through rich meats like beef and sausages, and works similarly well against rich, fatty cheese,…
• FfHoneyMustard seeds ground with honey, vinegar and salt is an ancient combination, noted for its preservative qualities in the Roman cookbook…
• EaCuminMustard and cumin seeds fried in hot oil or ghee release bitter, cabbage-and-cheese-like aromas, the basis of the Indian tempering…
• BrMisoJapanese karashi mustard, made from ground yellow and brown mustard seeds mixed with water, is a very pungent paste often served with…
• EaLentilAzifa, an Ethiopian Lenten lentil salad, combines cooled, sometimes mashed brown or green lentils with mustard, onion, fresh chile, oil…
• GrChileDeviled flour, a traditional coating for frying whitebait, kidneys or mushrooms, combines all-purpose flour with cayenne and mustard…
• EaRyeDeli mustard, also called spicy brown mustard, is milder, sweeter and fruitier than Dijon, mild enough to spread on bread alone, which…
• RoMaple syrupA maple-mustard dressing, roughly equal parts Dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive or walnut oil, and a little apple cider vinegar, works as…
• BeCranberryCranberry-mustard relish is a popular American condiment, sometimes recalling the syrupy, sugar-heavy fruit mustards (mostarda) of Italy.
• GrLettuceThe seventeenth-century writer John Evelyn considered mustard essential to a raw salad; his recorded proportions work out to roughly a…
• CiTurmericTurmeric gives classic yellow mustard its color, and its flavor contribution depends on which seeds the mustard is made with.
• SuChiveIn baked goods like crackers, pie crust or choux pastry, mustard develops cheese-like notes that pair naturally with chives.
• SuLeekLeeks cooked slowly in their own juices take on a buttery, creamy character that mustard both cuts through and enhances, as in poireaux…
• CrPapayaAn 1840 travelogue by Fitch W.
• EaWhite beanA cauliflower-and-lima-bean gratin uses a mustard-spiked béchamel: cauliflower, sautéed onion and leek are combined with lima beans in a…
• GrGreen beanMustard oil is essential in Bengali cooking, especially for frying fish, and in Kashmiri cuisine, where it's heated to smoking point and…
• FfQuinceQuince and mustard combine in mostarda di Venezia: quinces are cooked in sugar with lemon zest and juice, then mustard powder is stirred…
• MuRadishChilled radish dipped in mustard gives a hot-cold-hot effect.
• GrChicoryBoth bitter ingredients suit fans of dark roast coffee, IPA, grapefruit and very dark chocolate.
• GrOkraWriter Siddhartha Mitter recalls okra cooked over charcoal in Calcutta as smooth, delicate and fragrant.