Mustard oil

There are two different oils that the term ‘mustard oil’ refers to.  Both are made from mustard seed and each has its own uses: Culinary mustard oil is a fatty vegetable oil, made from pressed seeds. The essential oil, made by grinding seeds with water and extracting the oil by distillation, is used therapeutically for massage.   Uses Mustard oil is the most popular oil in Indian cooking and is used to make many traditional dishes.  It has a pungent, hot and nutty taste and is used to marinate and flavour food and also in the cooking process as a frying oil. Its popularity has declined over the years due to cheaper vegetable oils being…

Cumin

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) Said to be the second most popular spice globally, here we delve into the description of cumin; where it is found and how it is used.  A common ingredient in cuisines all over the world, we look at cooking with cumin and the uses of cumin in curries, as well as its herbal remedies. Cumin is the seed of a small umbelliferous plant that is part of the parsley family.  The plant has a slim stem that grows to 20cm tall and has small pink and white flowers.  The plant needs a hot climate to grow and is hand harvested when the seeds turn brown. The seeds themselves are about 3-6mm in…