[Sca-cooks] Re: [sig] Re: Period Mustard Recipes

[jenne at fiedlerfamily.net]

> I'm confused; a recently acquired source on Polish
> herbs and plants lists references to black mustard and
> white mustard, one firm source being in the 1500's,
> but no mention of Brown Mustard, yet someone here said
> that brown mustard is more appropriate?  I'm not
> contesting them, since this is just one source, but
> asking for clarification.
> Eluned

Join the club of confused people. Black mustard and brown mustard are both
terms used for Brassica nigra, but if Gernot Katzer's spice pages can be
believed:

"Botanically different, though of equal use in the kitchen, are the
Sarepta mustard or Romanian Brown Mustard (Br. juncea) from Eastern Europe
and the Indian Brown Mustard (Br. integrifolia or Br. juncea, a fertile
hybride from Br. nigra and Br. campestris) from India and Central Asia. Of
all three species, the latter is probably most commonly sold in the West.

Although the pungency of black mustard is slightly stronger than that of
brown mustard, black mustard is hardly planted in Europe anymore, and
brown mustard is the dominating quality on the European market. The reason
is that brown mustard, unlike black mustard, can be harvested by machines
which make production much cheaper in countries where working force is
expensive. "

I should re-write my pages to explain that. If you can get real black
mustard, by all means use it-- otherwise, brown mustard is a decent
approximation of black, and is the preferred approximation.