Indian Culture

Mustard Seeds

Mustard seeds, rai or sarson in India, come in yellow, brown and black.1,2,3,4,5,6 In hot oil they pop and turn nutty instead of sharp.6,7,8,9

Also known as Senfsamen, Rai, Sarson, Mustard

Mustard seeds, called rai or sarson in India, come in yellow, brown and black.1,2,3,4,5,7 The yellow seeds come from white mustard; brown mustard, Brassica juncea, is native to the Himalayas and has almost entirely replaced black mustard in growing for the condiment.5,6,10,11 Raw, the seeds taste sharp; ground, they give some pickles their heat.6,7,8,9 In India, though, they mostly go whole into hot oil until they pop; then they taste nutty instead of sharp.7,8,9 Many dishes begin this way, especially in South India, often together with curry leaves, asafoetida and cumin.7,8,12 In West Bengal and Odisha, people also cook a lot with mustard oil.4,7,13 The Annam pack lists 100 percent mustard seeds, the TRS pack 100 percent brown mustard seeds, there with the Hindi name rai.1,14,15

Are mustard seeds kalonji?

No, kalonji is nigella: angular black seeds of a plant in the buttercup family, not related to cumin despite the name black cumin. Mustard seeds are the small round seeds of plants in the cabbage family.5,16,17,18,19

What is the difference between mustard and mustard seeds?

Mustard seeds are the whole seeds; in Indian cooking they are fried in hot oil until they pop. Mustard, the condiment, is made from ground seeds mixed with vinegar or wine and spices, or from mustard powder stirred with water.6,8,11,12,19,20

Related products in our shop

All prices incl. VAT, plus €4.90 shipping, free for orders from €49.00.

View all products

Sources

  1. Platts, J. T. (1884). rāʼī. In A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English (p. 585). Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago.
  2. Platts, J. T. (1884). sarsoṅ. In A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English (p. 654). Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago.
  3. McGregor, R. S. (n.d.). rāī. In The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary (p. 859). Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  4. McGregor, R. S. (n.d.). sarsoṁ. In The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary (p. 991). Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  5. Davidson, A. (2014). mustard. In The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press.
  6. Britannica Editors. (1998). mustard. In Encyclopaedia Britannica.
  7. Katzer, G. (n.d.). Schwarzer Senf (Brassica nigra). Gernot Katzers Gewürzseiten. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  8. Peterson, J. (2017). Mustard Seeds. In Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making.
  9. Alford, J. & Duguid, N. (1998). mustard seed. In Seductions of Rice.
  10. Britannica Editors. (2022). brown mustard. In Encyclopaedia Britannica.
  11. Katzer, G. (n.d.). Weißer Senf (Sinapis alba). Gernot Katzers Gewürzseiten. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  12. Kapoor, S. (2011). Mustard seeds. In How to Cook Indian.
  13. Britannica Editors. (2023). Indian cuisine. In Encyclopaedia Britannica.
  14. Indian Culture: Annam Mustard Seeds (Rai): ingredients on the pack.
  15. Indian Culture: TRS Brown Mustard Seeds (Rai): ingredients on the pack.
  16. Katzer, G. (n.d.). Schwarzkümmel (Nigella sativa, Zwiebelsamen). Gernot Katzers Gewürzseiten. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  17. Davidson, A. (2014). black cumin. In The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press.
  18. Cambridge University Press. (n.d.). nigella. In Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  19. Cambridge University Press. (n.d.). mustard seed. In Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  20. Cambridge University Press. (n.d.). mustard. In Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved October 6, 2026.

Cite this entry

MLA

“Mustard Seeds.” Indian Culture Glossary, Indian Culture, https://www.indian-culture.de/en/glossar/mustard-seeds.

Chicago

Indian Culture Glossary, s.v. “Mustard Seeds,” https://www.indian-culture.de/en/glossar/mustard-seeds.

APA

Indian Culture. (n.d.). Mustard Seeds. In Indian Culture glossary. https://www.indian-culture.de/en/glossar/mustard-seeds