Vol. 11, Issue 7 (2022)

Author(s):
Theertha Poyil, Vaishnavi Naik and Sajith KS

Abstract:
Mustard is a popular agronomic crop that is cultivated across the world mainly as an oilseed crop. Ancient Indian literature suggested the use of mustard for both culinary and medicinal purposes but today it is widely used for culinary purpose. The seeds and leaves can be used for consumption in raw, cooked and fermented forms. The whole seeds are used for seasoning curries and pickles while ground mustard is used as a condiment and forms a part of the fermentation substrate in hardaliye. Mustard oil is rich in essential unsaturated fatty acids and has a near optimal ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Although oil is the primary product obtained from the crop, raw and fermented mustard leaves are recently gaining popularity in various diets for its numerous health benefits. The leaves are rich in antioxidant phenolic compounds and can be consumed raw in salads. Fermented mustard greens have been a part of traditional Asian cuisines for a long time. Suan-tsai, fu-tsai, dua muoi, kimchi and kombucha are all preparations in which mustard leaves are fermented by lactic acid bacteria. Mustard meal is the residue left after oil extraction which is a source of good quality protein and valuable antioxidant compounds which can be extracted and incorporated into commercial food products and supplements.