Mustard Greens

Name: Mustard greens (Brassica juncea) — the leaves of the mustard plant, with a sharp, peppery, horseradish-like bite. They are sold as curly, flat or red-leaved types, and a separate Leafy Green Vegetables page covers them from a leaf-vegetable angle, with Chinese types on their own page.

Description

Mustard greens originated in Central Asia and were bred in India and China, and are now eaten around the world. They are important in Southern United States cooking, where they are slow-cooked with smoked meat as part of the soul food tradition, in Indian cooking, as the Punjabi dish sarson da saag, and in Chinese and Japanese pickles.

The spicy flavour comes from glucosinolates, which release mustard oils when the leaves are chewed or cut. Raw leaves are peppery and bitter, while cooking mellows the flavour a great deal, and baby leaves are mild enough for salads.

Main nutrition value

Mustard greens are an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin C, with folate, calcium and fibre, for very few calories.

How best to be consumed

Mustard greens are usually cooked to soften their bite.

1. Braise slowly with onion, garlic and smoked ham, Southern-style.
2. Simmer with spinach, ginger and spices for Punjabi sarson da saag, served with cornbread.
3. Stir-fry or add to soups after a brief blanch.
4. Use baby leaves raw in salads and sandwiches for a peppery kick.
5. Wash well, since the crinkled leaves hold grit.

Overconsumption could cause…

Mustard greens are safe and healthy in food amounts.

1. Possible effects on warfarin and similar blood-thinning medicines because of the high vitamin K content, so keep intake steady rather than avoiding them.
2. Bloating and gas, since cruciferous vegetables contain raffinose and other fermentable carbohydrates.
3. Possible effects on thyroid function in people with an underactive thyroid or iodine deficiency if very large amounts are eaten raw, since brassicas contain goitrogens; normal cooked servings are fine.
4. Oxalates, which matter for people prone to kidney stones when eaten in very large amounts.

GroupsCruciferous VegetablesLeafy Green VegetablesCruciferous (cabbage family)Low fatLow sodiumRich in vitamin CRich in vitamin KFresh

Related foodsGai Lan / Chinese BroccoliRocket / ArugulaBok Choy / Pak ChoyKaleWatercressCollard Greens

Wikipedia — Mustard plant, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustard_plant