Mustard

The botanical name mustard is 'Brassica nigra koch'. It is one of the oldest spices that has been used in medicine. It is derived from Latin word ‘mustum’ which means “must”.
About the plant:
There are two species of mustard and are native to Asia and Europe. These two species ‘alba’ and ‘nigra’ are further categorized into three different forms depending on these species. The three forms are white mustard (alba), brown mustard (nirga) and black mustard (nirga).
White mustard:
The leaves of this plant are small with dark green color. Flowers are grouped in clusters and the fruits are podded shaped. The seeds are arranged in these pods and are white in color.
Black mustard:
This is the highly used species in culinary due to its strong pungent smell. The seeds are red-brownish in color and are found in the pods.
Brown mustard:
This is similar to black mustard. The leaves are broad and the seeds are found in the pods with brown color.
Mustard is one of the natural sources of vegetable oil. Due to anti-inflammatory properties it is used in medicines.