Black vs Brown mustard seeds.

Cafe Society
1

I’m just itching to make me some Vindaloo from scratch.

I’ve got a recipe I’m longing to try. But try as I did I could not locate Black Mustard Seeds anywhere in town. Not even the Asian or Caribbean stores.

What I did find was Brown Mustard Seeds.

What say the teeming millions? Is it a good substitution or should I just keep looking for the black?

All opinions welcome!

2

I asked my friend here who would know about such things. He says the flavor difference is not that much and it would probably be fine. He’s from north India, I don’t know if region would make a difference in the recipe.

3

Thanks Miamouse, I’m going to go ahead and try it.

I’ll let you know if it’s yummy or not.

4

Since this is about cooking, it’s better suited for Cafe Society.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

5

Penzeys carries only yellow and brown mustard seed.

Could it be that black mustard seed are these toasted brown seeds?

6

Black mustard (brassica nigra) is a different plant than brown mustard (brassica juncea). I’ve only seen black mustard seeds being sold at Indian spice shops. There really shouldn’t be any problem with substituting brown mustard seeds for them. Black seeds are a little more pungent, but otherwise, should work fine.

7

i found a place to buy black mustard seed online:
https://www.spiceandtea.com/mustard-black-seed-p-68.html?zenid=ml09qv9op6ltl308fa7ek6vm07
hope this helps

8

I’ve substituted brown for black and not noticed anything out of place, but then I’m not from the subcontinent.