Mustard leaves
What is it?
Mustard leaves are part of the Brassica family that includes cabbage, broccoli, and turnips. Like the different types of mustard seeds (white, brown, and black), the leaves too are of varying shapes, textures, and colours, with stems ranging from thin and tender to thick and fibrous, and leaves that are green, red, purple, and yellow-green. The leaves may also show prominent veining, with edges that are smooth, frilly, or saw-like. It has been described as spicy, peppery, and slightly bitter in taste. The tender, top leaves are said to have more subtleness than the more mature leaves, and therefore enjoyed raw as salads, while the latter is enjoyed cooked.
What other names does it have?
Botanical Name: Brassica juncea L.
Regional Names: Sarson ka saag (Hindi), Sarson da saag (Punjabi), Tyrso (Khasi), Laai xaak/Lai haak (Assamese),Lai magong (Bodo), Antam/Ankam (Mizo), Lai paata (Bengali)
When is it in season?
Where is it found?
It is cultivated in countries like India, Nepal, China, and Korea, as well as in Poland, Sweden, USA, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. Mustard plants require well-drained soil and plenty of sunlight. It grows well in cool weather and in temperatures between 7 to 24 degrees Celsius. Mustard is a hardy plant and can therefore thrive in various climatic conditions.
What is its history/cultural significance?
Mustard has been a part of many ancient civilisations for its seeds and leaves. The species Brassica juncea is believed to have originated in the Middle East. It made its way to civilisations such as ancient Greece, Rome and Harappa. According to this article, the Greeks valued mustard for its culinary uses and Hippocrates (the Father of Western Medicine) documented it for its therapeutic properties. From being mentioned in the oldest Jainism text, Acharanga Sutra, to sometimes being used as bitter herbs during a Passover meal, mustard greens have immense cultural significance too.
How can you use it?
The young, tender leaves can be eaten raw in salads while the larger mature leaves can either be boiled and eaten as a side, or chopped and sauteéd with onions. There are different meat preparations that use fresh mustard greens, such as the Assamese dish Lai Xaak Gahori or the traditional dish of the Rongmei tribe which uses fermented mustard leaves.
What states can I find it in?
What parts of the plant are edible?
Seeds, flowers and leaves
Is it nutritious?
Mustard leaves are filled with antioxidants, making them a healthy option for different dishes. Essential vitamins and minerals like potassium, calcium, vitamins C, B9, K, provitamin A, and lutein are found in these greens.
How do you store it?
Wrapping the greens in paper towels, refrigerating them in the crisper drawer, and rinsing them right before using, will make the greens last for a week. For making them last up to a year, blanch the greens for a few minutes after thoroughly rinsing them, followed by quick soak in ice water and then freezing them.
Recipes:
I First Cooked Pork & Mustard Greens in an Electric Kettle by Simanta Barman, The Goya Journal
‘Know Your Desi Ingredients’ is an ever-expanding repository of knowledge for ingredients that are native to the Indian subcontinent and adapted into the mainstream culinary narratives of people, places, and cultures across India. If you would like to share more information about the write-ups featured here, send us an email at connect@thelocavore.in with your inputs and any verified sources we should look into.
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