Mustard Oil

Name: Mustard oil, pressed from mustard seeds — typically black, brown or white mustard (Brassica species). It is distinct from the condiment mustard, though both come from the same plant family.

Description

Mustard oil production dates back at least to Roman or Byzantine times, with archaeological evidence of oil-pressing structures found in the ancient town of Huqoq in modern-day Israel. It has long been central to Punjabi, Bengali, Assamese and North Indian cooking, as well as Bangladeshi cuisine, and remains the third-largest edible oil consumed in India today.

Traditional mustard oil is unusually rich in erucic acid — as much as 40–57% of its fat — which 20th-century research linked to a heart condition called myocardial lipidosis in animal studies. As a result, mustard oil is banned as a cooking oil in the United States, Canada and the European Union, though it remains widely used for cooking in India and neighbouring countries, where regulators have instead focused on preventing it from being blended or adulterated with cheaper oils.

Main nutrition value

Like all pure oils, mustard oil is essentially 100% fat and around 884 kcal per 100g. Traditional mustard oil is distinguished by its very high erucic acid content, a monounsaturated fat that behaves differently in the body than the oleic acid found in olive or canola oil, alongside meaningful amounts of the omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid.

How best to be consumed

Where mustard oil is legally sold and used as a cooking oil, it is typically heated until it reaches its smoke point before other ingredients are added, which mellows its pungent, sinus-clearing raw aroma.

1. Heat until just smoking before adding other ingredients, a traditional step used to mellow its sharp raw flavour.
2. Use in the regional dishes it's traditionally paired with, such as Bengali fish curries or Punjabi saag, where its flavour is part of the dish.
3. Check local regulations before buying or using mustard oil as a cooking fat, since it is not approved for that purpose in several countries.
4. Consider it primarily as a flavouring or traditional-cuisine ingredient rather than an everyday cooking oil where it isn't approved for food use.

Overconsumption could cause…

Mustard oil's high erucic acid content is the main reason for caution, beyond the usual calorie density shared by all oils.

1. Potential heart-muscle effects from high erucic acid intake, the specific concern that led several countries to restrict mustard oil as a food product — this is why regular use as a primary cooking oil is not recommended where it isn't approved for that purpose.
2. Excess calorie intake if used generously, since a tablespoon carries well over 100 kcal.

GroupsPlant/Fruit OilsCruciferous (cabbage family)High saturated fatLow sodiumIndian

Made fromMustard Seed

Related foodsCanola OilRapeseed OilAvacado OilFlaxseed OilGrapeseed OilPalm Oil

Wikipedia — Mustard oil, used for erucic acid content and regulatory history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustard_oil