The image, above, shows the full Field Mustard plant(Brassica rapa), left top and the wild form, left
bottom. Also shown are close-ups of the flowers (top, right) and
the seeds (bottom,right)..
Common Name: Field Mustard
| Scientific Name: Brassica rapa |
|
Other Names: Yellow Mustard, Wild Turnip, Wild Kale, Bird Rape, Navew, Cale |
| Family: Cruciferae |
| Range: Not known naturally in the wild (it's derived from cultivation) |
Physical Characteristics
Brassica rapa is a hardy Biennial plant, growing to 0.5m (1 ft 8 in) in height. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. The plant flowers from May to August and the seeds ripen from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by bees. The plant is self-fertile.
|
| Edible Parts: Leaves, Root, Seeds, Flowers |
 Edibility Rating: 3 |
 Known Hazards: None Known |
Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Field Mustard along with all the Field Mustard containing recipes presented on this site, with 3 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Field Mustard as a major wild food ingredient.
Field or Wild Mustard, Brassica rapa var campestris, (also known as Yellow Mustard, Wild Turnip, Wild Kale, Bird Rape, Navew, Cale) is the annual or biennial ancestor of modern Turnip, Rutabaga, some kales and rapeseed (canola). It hybridizes readily with many other barssicas and as such is agriculturally considered a weed.
It is not a true 'mustard' in that mustard seeds are produced from the related species Brassica nigra (black mustard). However, in late winter or early spring, mustard greens present one of the most valuable wild foods. Substantial, highly nutritious, deliciously hot-flavoured, they are top-notch added to salads, cooked, or juiced. Such keen concentration of flavour and nutrients makes field mustard an eminently healthy, even shocking, addition to the diet. The seeds can also be harvested for use as a flavouring or spice (they are like mild mustard seed), or can be sprouted. Thus wild mustard is a very useful addition to the store of wild foods available to us. It can also be cultivated and makes an useful pot herb and can be substituted in any recipe calling for 'mustard greens'.
In addition to the leaves and seeds, the bulbous roots are also edible. They can be gathered, washed and cooked like a vegetable, or the young roots can be grated and eaten in salad. The roots have a spicy taste, a little like a mild radish. The flowers are also edible and can be added to salads. If dipped in batter and deep fried the flowers make excellent fritters or tempura.
The roots also contain a natural insecticide. If the chopped roots are boiled with flaked soap and the result is strained the liquid can be applied to plants as a repellent for aphids, red spider mites and flies.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Field Mustard as a major wild food ingredient.
Field or Wild Mustard, Brassica rapa var campestris, (also known as Yellow Mustard, Wild Turnip, Wild Kale, Bird Rape, Navew, Cale) is the annual or biennial ancestor of modern Turnip, Rutabaga, some kales and rapeseed (canola). It hybridizes readily with many other barssicas and as such is agriculturally considered a weed.
It is not a true 'mustard' in that mustard seeds are produced from the related species Brassica nigra (black mustard). However, in late winter or early spring, mustard greens present one of the most valuable wild foods. Substantial, highly nutritious, deliciously hot-flavoured, they are top-notch added to salads, cooked, or juiced. Such keen concentration of flavour and nutrients makes field mustard an eminently healthy, even shocking, addition to the diet. The seeds can also be harvested for use as a flavouring or spice (they are like mild mustard seed), or can be sprouted. Thus wild mustard is a very useful addition to the store of wild foods available to us. It can also be cultivated and makes an useful pot herb and can be substituted in any recipe calling for 'mustard greens'.
In addition to the leaves and seeds, the bulbous roots are also edible. They can be gathered, washed and cooked like a vegetable, or the young roots can be grated and eaten in salad. The roots have a spicy taste, a little like a mild radish. The flowers are also edible and can be added to salads. If dipped in batter and deep fried the flowers make excellent fritters or tempura.
The roots also contain a natural insecticide. If the chopped roots are boiled with flaked soap and the result is strained the liquid can be applied to plants as a repellent for aphids, red spider mites and flies.
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Field Mustard recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 3 recipes in total:
Page 1 of 1
| Nanakusa-gayu (Seven Herb Congee) Origin: Japan | Pork and Wild Food Curry Origin: Britain | Sautéed Mustard Greens Origin: Britain |
Page 1 of 1