Brassica nigra

Brassica nigra
Brassica nigra
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Brassica
Species: B. nigra
Binomial name
Brassica nigra
L.

Brassica nigra (black mustard) ( sanskrit : राजक्षवक , rajakshavak ; Marathi :काळी मोहरी , Kali Mohari ) is an annual weedy plant cultivated for its seeds, which are commonly used as a spice.

Contents

Description

The plant is believed to be native to the southern Mediterranean region of Europe, and has been cultivated for thousands of years.

The spice is generally made from ground seeds of the plant, 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. This oil is used often as cooking oil in India.

In Ethiopia, where it is cultivated as a vegetable in Gondar, Harar and Shewa, the shoots and leaves are consumed cooked and the seeds used as a spice. Its Amharic name is senafitch.[1]

Ground seeds of the plant mixed with honey are widely used in eastern Europe as cough suppressant. In Eastern Canada, the use of mouche de moutarde to treat respiratory infections was popular before the advent of modern medicine. It consisted in mixing ground mustard seeds with flour and water, and creating a cataplasm with the paste. This cataplasm was put on the chest or the back and left until the person felt a stinging sensation.

The plant itself can grow from two to eight feet tall, with racemes of small yellow flowers. These flowers are usually up to 1/3" across, with four petals each. The leaves are covered in small hairs; they can wilt on hot days, but recover at night.

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

Black mustard is thought to be the seed mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 13:31-32.[2]

Similar plants

Despite their similar common names, black mustard and white mustard (genus Sinapis) are not closely related. Black mustard belongs to the same genus as cabbage.

B. nigra also resembles Hirschfeldia incana, or hoary mustard, (formerly Brassica geniculata), which is a perennial plant.

See also

References

  1. ^ Zemede Asfaw, "Conservation and use of traditional vegetables in Ethiopia", Proceedings of the IPGRI International Workshop on Genetic Resources of Traditional Vegetables in Africa (Nairobi, 29–31 August 1995)
  2. ^ Post, George Edward (1900). "Mustard". In James Hastings. A Dictionary of the Bible. http://www.odu.edu/~lmusselm/post/dictionary/hastings_dic/pages/mustard.shtml. 

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Brassica nigra —   Mostaza negra …   Wikipedia Español

  • Brassica nigra — Moutarde noire Pour les articles homonymes, voir Moutarde …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Brassica nigra — Schwarzer Senf Schwarzer Senf Systematik Klasse: Dreifurchenpollen Zweikeimblättrige (Rosopsida) Unterklasse …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Brassica nigra — juodasis bastutis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Bastutinių šeimos prieskoninis, vaistinis nuodingas augalas (Brassica nigra), paplitęs šiaurės Afrikoje, pietų ir pietryčių Europoje, Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Brassica nigra; Brassica… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • Brassica Nigra — 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Brassica nigra — Sinigrin Sin i*grin, n. [From NL. Sinapis nigra.] (Chem.) A glucoside found in the seeds of black mustard ({Brassica nigra}, formerly {Sinapis nigra}) It resembles sinalbin, and consists of a potassium salt of myronic acid. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • BRASSICA NIGRA (L.) KOCH - ЧЕРНАЯ ФРАНЦУЗСКАЯ ГОРЧИЦА — см. 346. < > Однолетнее растение. В. nigra (L.) Koch Черная французская горчица in Rölding s Deutschl. . 3, IV (1833) 713. Синская (1928) 380. Культ. фл. VII (1941) 82, рис. Бахтеев (1960) 222. Gamier (1961) 327, f. S y n. Sinapis nigra L.;… …   Справочник растений

  • Brassica nigra var. abyssinica — juodasis bastutis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Bastutinių šeimos prieskoninis, vaistinis nuodingas augalas (Brassica nigra), paplitęs šiaurės Afrikoje, pietų ir pietryčių Europoje, Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Brassica nigra; Brassica… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • Brassica nigra — ID 11067 Symbol Key BRNI Common Name black mustard Family Brassicaceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity Introduced to U.S. US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD …   USDA Plant Characteristics

  • Brassica nigra — noun widespread Eurasian annual plant cultivated for its pungent seeds; a principal source of table mustard • Syn: ↑black mustard • Hypernyms: ↑mustard • Member Holonyms: ↑Brassica, ↑genus Brassica • …   Useful english dictionary

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