What does mustard come from

Here's a rundown of essential mustard know-how, plus a primer on the seven most common types. The majority of commercial mustard is made with white or brown mustard seeds, or a mix of the two. Black seeds are rarely used for mustard.

Prepared mustard in a jar is a mixture of dried mustard seeds, water, and some other liquid—typically vinegar. Dry mustard or mustard flour is the dried seeds ground to a fine powder. Pop a mustard seed in your mouth and suck on it.

When your saliva hits the seed, it sparks the release of a compound inside the seed, causing that familiar nostril-flaring sensation. Brown seeds carry more pronounced heat than white seeds. The addition of other ingredients—wine or beer instead of vinegar, spices, herbs and so on—and the degree to which the seeds are milled give prepared mustard its personality and flavor.

Mustard seeds in the brine, Dijon in the glaze, and both mustard powder and whole seeds in the accompanying cucumber relish, give this holiday-worthy pork loin plenty of bright, pungent flavor. A silky smooth mustard made with brown and sometimes black seeds, synonymous with the French town where it originated and that Grey Poupon commercial. Dijon made in Dijon, France, must adhere to strict standards as defined by the government like true Champagne, but no such U.

Originally made with verjus , an acidic liquid made from unripe grapes, today Dijon is more commonly made with white wine. Because wine is less acidic than the vinegar used in most prepared mustards, the natural pungency and heat of the mustard is accentuated. Follow Twitter Instagram Facebook.

What is mustard made of? How many mustard seeds are in a typical jar of mustard? What gives yellow mustard its bright coloring? Wonder What's Next? Find out tomorrow in Wonderopolis! Try It Out Do you like mustard?

Be sure to check out the following activities with a friend or family member: Are you hungry yet? Today's Wonder of the Day presents the perfect opportunity to head to the kitchen for some up-close experimentation with mustard.

Make yourself a hot dog or a deli sandwich and enjoy the taste of mustard firsthand! If you're up for a field trip, ask an adult friend or family member to take you to a local grocery store to check out their selection of mustards. How many different varieties can you find? If you want to use mustard as an ingredient in a delicious dipping sauce for chicken tenders, try this recipe for Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce. What other recipes can you find online that feature mustard as a primary ingredient?

Do some research on your own to find other interesting recipes that contain mustard. You can also use mustard as Edible Paint! Use a plate as your "palette" and vegetables, like carrot sticks or broccoli, as your brushes.

Pour a bit of mustard, ketchup, and ranch dressing on the plate and paint a picture good enough to eat. This activity also makes a healthy after-school snack! Did you get it? Test your knowledge. What are you wondering? Wonder Words perennial mustard condiment powder vinegar pasty enzyme signature sharp cuisine turmeric gourmet seed bun jar mild gold deli Take the Wonder Word Challenge. Join the Discussion. Angela,Eva,Delilah Oct 4, Oct 15, That's great, Angela,Eva,Delilah!

We hope this Wonder helped! Nick the best Oct 10, My papa works at a Mustard factory and he says that they make it with left over scraps they find in the food department to make it tastier.

Oct 16, Very interesting! Thanks for sharing, Nick the best!! Feb 7, We think you are a cool Wonder Friend! Oct 21, Thank you for leaving us your comment, zcearia!

May 23, Great to hear, billy! Wow this is really cool. How did you come up with this question. May 9, Josh Apr 15, Apr 15, Hi, Josh! It often depends on the kind of mustard you have! Josh Gardner Apr 14, That's right, Josh! Visit again soon! Lawrence Feb 24, Feb 26, Harry Feb 19, Feb 21, Thanks, Harry! Feb 4, Jan 7, Fdylan Sep 3, Sep 4, Sep 3, Sebric Aug 31, I think it's made of slime colored food coloring.

Sep 1, Sebric Sep 3, Sep 7, Sebric Sep 10, Sep 13, In medieval France, they were mixed with unfermented grape juice must and called mout-ardent burning must , which transformed into moutarde in French and mustard in English.

Brown mustard originated in the Himalayans and has virtually replaced black mustard in American and British kitchens, particularly in North American Chinese restaurants. The white mustard plant originated in the Mediterranean area and can be cultivated in colder climates as well as warmer climates, which may be a factor in its popularity. Black mustard seeds are the most pungent of the three but are also the least common. Brown mustard seeds are less spicy than black and spicier than white mustard seeds, as can be seen in most types of brown mustard condiments.

White mustard seeds are milder than brown or black mustard seeds, but they still contain pungent flavor producers, especially sinalbin. Their heat stays mainly on the tongue rather than traveling up the nose, as it does with brown and black seeds. The heat is also shorter-lived than those varieties. Black mustard seeds are a common ingredient in Indian cooking.

They are often kept whole and fried or toasted before adding to a dish or including in a stir-fry along with other aromatic ingredients. White mustard seeds can be toasted to add to dishes or used for pickling. Mustard seeds can be ground to make homemade mustard condiments. The most common way to incorporate mustard seeds into a recipe is when making mustard. However, there are some dishes, particularly in Indian cuisine, that use the black mustard seeds for spice and texture.

The seeds are sauteed in oil until they pop and cooked along with the other ingredients. Brown and white mustard seeds are not only made into mustard but also incorporated into pickling spice. Brown mustard seeds are used in Europe to produce Dijon mustard and other specialty mustards, and the usual table mustard in Russia is made from brown mustard seeds.

In Asian countries, brown mustard seeds are used to produce condiments and mustard oil. This mustard oil can contain toxic erucic acid, so is not imported to the United States. White mustard seeds are ground to make a yellow mustard condiment. If you shop the spice section of a typical grocery store, you should be able to find yellow mustard seeds from American companies such as McCormick. These are also the mustard seeds in common pickling spice blends.