(Bottom) White Mustard Seed (Top) Yellow Mustard Seed (spherical, fine reticulation, grayish-white to light yellow, thin seed coat, oily, yellow mustard is smaller and brownish-yellow, pungent when exposed to water)

[Naming]

White Mustard Seed

 [Source]

Superior Grade in Miscellaneous Records (Bielu) – Mustard

 [Common Usage Level]

B

 [Botanical Origin]

The dried, mature seeds of Brassica juncea (L.) Coss. or Brassica alba (L.) Boiss, both belonging to the Brassicaceae (Mustard) family.

 [Characteristics]

(1) Yellow Mustard Seed: Approximately spherical, 1~1.6㎜ in diameter. Seed coat is dark yellow to brownish-yellow, a small number are reddish-brown. The seed surface shows fine reticular texture, and the hilum is obvious. Swells when immersed in water. Removing the seed coat reveals two cotyledons. After crushing and moistening, it develops a special pungent odor.
(2) White Mustard Seed: Spherical, 1.1~2.0~2.5㎜ in diameter, larger than yellow mustard seeds. The surface is off-white to light yellow, with fine reticulation and a dark small dot-shaped hilum. The seed coat is brittle and easily crushed. The embryo is yellowish-white, oily, with two cotyledons overlapping. The taste is initially oily, then slightly acidic, followed by a spicy sensation. After crushing and moistening, it develops a volatile mustard oil-like irritating odor.

 [Processing]

1. Raw White Mustard Seed 2. Stir-fried White Mustard Seed

 [Identification]

《Materia Medica Compendium》: “The ones from the Western Rong Taiyuan region are the best.”
1. Yellow Mustard Seed: The best are those with plump seeds, uniform size, and yellow or reddish-brown color.
2. White Mustard Seed: The best are those that are large, plump, white, pure, and mature. White Mustard Seed is superior to Yellow Mustard Seed.

 [Category]

Seed Category