Sinapis alba is botanically known as white mustard but most people
refer to it as yellow mustard, if only because the seeds are used to
produce the condiment of the same name. A member of the cabbage family,
the species is original to the Mediterranean region but is now
naturalized throughout most of the world.
White mustard seed has a milder, less pungent flavor than its distantly
related cousin, black mustard (Brassica nigra). In addition to its use
as a seasoning, powdered white mustard seed is used traditionally used
topically as a rubefacient to relieve chest congestion or muscle pain.
The “heat” produced on contact is created by a chemical reaction between
myrosin and sinigrin within a few minutes of being mixed with cool
water.
