Mustard Oil

Mustard is a well-known oil seed and an annual crop. It has round stem with long inter-modes, simple, alternate and very soft yellowish green leaves. The fruit is a pod containing seeds. Dry mustard seeds are small, round and darkish-brown or grayish-brown in color. They have no smell, but when pounded and moistured with water, they emit a peculiar strong smell. Mustard oil is of vegetable origin and is obtained from seeds of the black and white (Sinapis alba) mustard plants. In the crude state, black mustard oil (Brassica nigra, light color) has a spicy odor and a strong taste. When refined it is neutral in odor and taste. White mustard oil (yellow color) has a bitingly pungent taste due to the allyl mustard oil it contains.India is the fourth largest oilseed producing country in the world. mustard seed is having major percentage of this. The crude mustard oil is dark brown in colour with a pungent odor. Refined mustard oil is used mainly for cooking as it is slightly more viscous and has a lower saponification value and a higher refractive index compared to other vegetable oils.

Mustard is a well-known oil seed and an annual crop.