Mustard powder is ground seeds of mustard, a plant belonging to the Cabbage family. It differs in the content of essential oils and, accordingly, in the pungency, depending on what kind of mustard was - white, black or Sarepta. Mustard powder can be used both for culinary and medicinal and household purposes.
Culinary uses of mustard powder
Some people are familiar with the food seasoning that is made from mustard powder. Yes, we are talking about the very mustard. The most popular in Russia is the most pungent, pungent variety of this seasoning - "Russian mustard", made from Sarep mustard (or Russian, as it is often called). In Western Europe, especially in France, the most popular is Dijon mustard, which is made from black mustard ("French"). It has a much milder taste.
A characteristic feature of Dijon mustard is the presence of a large number of uncrushed seeds. Culinary experts believe that this gives its taste a special piquancy.
Mustard powder is one of the ingredients of many sauces for meat, fish and poultry. For example, it is part of mayonnaise. In addition, adding a small amount of mustard powder to meat or minced meat just before cooking or to the marinade where the meat will mature will give the finished dish a very pleasant, savory flavor.
How mustard powder is used in medicine and for household purposes
In the old days, mustard plasters were considered one of the most common cough remedies for colds - rectangular sheets of paper with a layer of mustard powder. Although the former popularity of mustard plasters is no longer, they are still used for medicinal purposes. They are moistened with warm water and applied to the chest or back of a sick person. The healing effect is achieved due to skin irritation with essential oils and blood flow, which accelerates metabolism and eliminates congestion in the upper respiratory tract.
Mustard powder is a simple and effective remedy for stopping the development of colds, as they say, in the bud. To do this, before going to bed, warm your feet in hot water with the addition of mustard powder, then wipe them dry, put on socks and lie under a warm blanket. In most cases, one or two procedures are enough for the cold to recede.
You can also put dry mustard powder into cotton socks before going to bed, put them on, and a pair of woolen socks on top.
Mustard powder will also work well when washing dishes. Using it, you can completely wash even heavily soiled, greasy dishes with remnants of burnt food. The powder works best when mixed with baking soda.
