Brassica juncea
(L.) Czerniak & Cass
Indian mustard, Leaf mustard, Chinese mustard
Walther Otto Müller (via Wikimedia Commons)
Dalgial (via Wikimedia Commons)
Anna Frodesiak (via Wikimedia Commons)
(c) Dinesh Valke, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
(c) Trevor Crosby, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Trevor Crosby
(c) Biopix, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Seeds - oil, Spice, Vegetable, Flowers
Edible Parts: Flowers Leaves Oil Root Seed Edible Uses: Condiment Oil Leaves - raw or cooked. A peppery flavour that can range from mild to hot, this is one of the most highly prized cooked vegetables in the Orient. The leaves can also be eaten raw, when finely shredded they make a very acceptable addition to mixed salads. The protein extracted from the leaves mixes well with banana pulp and is well adapted as a pie filling. Flowers and young flowering stems - raw or cooked. Sweet and succulent. An edible semi-drying oil is obtained from the seed. The seed contains 25 - 30% oil. The seed is used as a mustard flavouring. It is the source of 'brown mustard', a prepared mustard that is milder than that produced from other species. Pungency of mustard develops when cold water is added to the ground-up seed - an enzyme (myrosin) acts on a glycoside (sinigrin) to produce a sulphur compound. The reaction takes 10 - 15 minutes. Mixing with hot water or vinegar, or adding salt, inhibits the enzyme and produces a mild bitter mustard. Black mustard comes from B. nigra and white mustard from Sinapis alba. The seed is also used whole in curries and pickles. They are often heated in oil to destroy their pungency and give them a nutty flavour. The root of some forms of this species is edible. Sprouted seeds can be added to salads.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
A warm temperate plant. It is grown in some highland areas in the tropics. It is often grown as a cool season crop. Most varieties are not frost tolerant. It needs a fertile, well drained soil. A pH of 5.5-6.8 is suitable. It can tolerate poor soils. In the Himalayas in summer it grows to 3,600 m altitude. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 9-11. Tasmania Herbarium. In Yunnan.
Afghanistan, Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Austria, Balkans, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Botswana, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central America, Central Asia, China, Congo DR, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Denmark, East Africa, East Timor, Egypt, Ethiopia, Europe, Fiji, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Guiana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Hungary, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea, Kuwait, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Marquesas, Middle East, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Oman, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Paraguay, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Sao Tome and Principe, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Siberia, Sierra Leone, Sikkim, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Trinidad-Tobago, Turkey, Türkiye, Tuvalu, USA, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
It is an erect leafy annual cabbage plant. It grows to about 1 m high. The plant can vary a lot. The leaves are elliptical and deeply divided. They are dark green. The end segment of the leaves is oval. The leaves taper towards the stem and have a strong mustard flavour. The flowers are pale yellow. They have 4 petals. It produces a flower and seed pods at the top. The seed pod is long and narrow. It is 3-5 cm long. The seeds are reddish-brown.
Nutrition Score: 73/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeds | 6.9 | 1964 | 469 | 24.9 | — | 3 | 10 | — |
| Leaves | 92 | 108 | 26 | 2.4 | 31 | 73 | 2.7 | — |
| Sprouts | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How to Grow
The seed is broadcast. They can be put in a nursery and transplanted. A spacing of 25 cm x 25 cm is suitable. Seed germinate in 5 days at 20-25°C.
Propagation: Seed - sow in situ from early spring to early autumn in order to obtain a succession of edible leaves. Most varieties of Oriental vegetables belonging to this species are best sown from late June to early September otherwise they may bolt. There are about 5,660 - 6,000 per 0.01 kg (1/3 oz).
Medicinal Uses
Anodyne Antibiotic Aperient Diuretic Emetic Galactogogue Rubefacient Stimulant Although not usually used medicinally, the seed is a warming stimulant herb with antibiotic effects. Reported to be anodyne, aperitif, diuretic, emetic, rubefacient, and stimulant, Brown Mustard is a folk remedy for arthritis, foot ache, lumbago, and rheumatism. The seed is used in the treatment of tumours in China. In Korea, the seeds are used in the treatment of abscesses, colds, lumbago, rheumatism, and stomach disorders. The root is used as a galactagogue in Africa. Ingestion may impart a body odour repellent to mosquitoes. Mustard oil is used in the treatment of skin eruptions and ulcers. Believed to be aperient and tonic, the volatile oil is used as a counterirritant and stimulant. In Java the plant is used as an antisyphilitic emmenagogue. Leaves applied to the forehead are said to relieve headache. The Chinese eat the leaves in soups for bladder, inflammation or haemorrhage.
Other Uses
Green manure Oil Repellent There is some evidence that if this plant is grown as a green manure it is effective in reducing soil-borne root rots in pea crops. This is attributed to chemicals that are given off as the plants decay. Brassica juncea is used in phytoremediation to remove heavy metals, such as lead, from the soil in hazardous waste sites because it has a higher tolerance for these substances and stores the heavy metals in its cells. In particular, Schneider et al. found that Brassica juncea was particularly effective at removing cadmium from soil. Special Uses
Wikipedia
Source ↗Brassica juncea, commonly mustard greens, brown mustard, Chinese mustard, Indian mustard, Japanese mustard, Korean green mustard, leaf mustard, Oriental mustard and vegetable mustard, is a species of mustard plant.
Production
Plants grow rapidly. Leaves can be harvested one month after planting. Leaves can be harvested several times. Whole plants can be harvested in about 45 days from transplanting.
Other Information
Only grown occasionally in Papua New Guinea. It is a cultivated plant.
Notes
There are about 30 Brassica species and many cultivated varieties.
Names & Synonyms
Acelga china, A-mothsora, Ananatsongo, Antam, Brown mustard, Cai be-xanh, Cai canh, Dijon mustard, Dongi, Figiri, Gai choi, Jie cai, Kaad khiew, Kaai ts'oi, Kabej-plasas, Kadugu, Kai choy, Karamkala, Kanganje, Karashi-na, Khat naa, Mbumbi, Modo metan, Monnyin-no, Mosita, Mostaza china, Mpatu, Mpiru, Mustasa, Nkofi, Phakkat-khieo, Phakkat-khieopli, Rai, Rai sorisha, Samon-ni, Sarepta mustard, Sawi, Sawi pahit, Se-sawi
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