Read full entry

Brassica juncea


Brassica juncea, mustard greens, Indian mustard, Chinese mustard, Kai Choi,[1] or leaf mustard is a species of mustard plant. Subvarieties include southern giant curled mustard, which resembles a headless cabbage such as kale, but with a distinct horseradish-mustard flavor. It is also known as green mustard cabbage.



The leaves, the seeds, and the stem of this mustard variety are edible. The plant appears in some form in African, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and African-American (soul food) cuisine. Cultivars of B. juncea are grown as greens, and for the production of oilseed. In Russia, this is the main variety grown for production of mustard oil, which after refining is considered[according to whom?] one of the best vegetable oils. It is widely used in canning, baking and margarine production in Russia, and the majority of table mustard there is also made from this species of mustard plant. Mustard oil is also the primary cooking oil used in Eastern India.

The leaves are used in African[2] cooking, and leaves, seeds, and stems are used in Indian cuisine, particularly in mountain regions of Nepal, as well as in the Punjab cuisine of India and Pakistan, where a famous dish called sarson da saag (mustard greens)[3] is prepared.[4] B. juncea subsp. tatsai, which has a particularly thick stem, is used to make the Indian pickle called achar, and the Chinese pickle zha cai. The mustard made from the seeds of the B. juncea is called brown mustard.[5] The leaves and seeds are used in many Indian dishes.



Fried mustard green dish from Assam, India
Cantonese-style braised mustard greens, with wolfberries


Brassica juncea is also known as Gai Choi, Siu Gai Choi, Xaio Jie Cai (Shiau Jie Tsai), Baby Mustard, Chinese Leaf Mustard and Mostaza.[1]

Food supplement[edit]


Green manure[edit]

A bunch of fresh mustard greens from the United States
Mustard greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy110 kJ (26 kcal)
4.51 g
Sugars1.41 g
Dietary fiber2 g
0.47 g
2.56 g
Vitamin A equiv.
618 μg
7400 μg
10400 μg
Thiamine (B1)
0.041 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
0.063 mg
Niacin (B3)
0.433 mg
0.12 mg
Vitamin B6
0.098 mg
Folate (B9)
9 μg
Vitamin C
25.3 mg
Vitamin E
1.78 mg
Vitamin K
592.7 μg
Trace metals
118 mg
0.87 mg
13 mg
42 mg
162 mg
9 mg
0.22 mg

Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database



This plant is used in phytoremediation to remove heavy metals, such as lead, from the soil in hazardous waste sites because it has a higher tolerance for these substances and stores the heavy metals in its cells.[6] In particular, Schneider et al. found that Brassica juncea was particularly effective at removing cadmium from soil.[7] Removal of heavy metals concludes with the plant being harvested and properly discarded. Phytoremediation has been shown to be cheaper and easier than traditional methods for heavy metal reduction in soils. In addition, it has the added benefit of reducing soil erosion, reducing cross-site contamination. [6]

See also[edit]




  1. ^ a b
  3. ^ "Sarson Ka Saag". Retrieved 14 February 2014. 
  6. ^ a b editors, Naser A. Anjum...[et al.], (2012). The plant family Brassicaceae contribution towards phytoremediation. Dordrecht: Springer. ISBN 9789400739130. 
  7. ^ Schneider, Thorsten; Haag-Kerwer, Angela; Maetz, Mischa; Niecke, Manfred; Povh, Bogdan; Rausch, Thomas; Schüßler, Arthur (September 1999). "Micro-PIXE studies of elemental distribution in Cd-accumulating Brassica juncea L.". Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms 158 (1-4): 329–334. doi:10.1016/S0168-583X(99)00356-0. 

Further reading[edit]




Source: Wikipedia

Belongs to 0 communities

This taxon hasn't been featured in any communities yet.

Learn more about Communities


