mustard flour, which has been ground and
sieved to remove the seed coat. Dry mustard
seeds and their powder are not pungent. Their
pungency develops over the course of a few
minutes or a few hours when the seeds are
soaked in liquid and ground, or the preground
seeds are simply moistened. The combination
of moisture and cell damage revives the
seeds’ enzymes and allows them to liberate
the pungent compounds from their storage
forms. Most prepared mustards are made with
acidic liquids — vinegar, wine, fruit juices —
which slow the enzymes, but also slow the
later disappearance of the pungent compounds
as they gradually react with oxygen and other
substances in the mix.
Roman Mustard
Carefully cleanse and sift mustard-seed,
then wash it in cold water, and when it has
been well cleaned, leave it in the water for
two hours. Next take it out and after it has