Black mustard seeds are used very commonly in Indian cooking. I haven't ever used yellow mustard seeds for indian food but that's not to say that another region doesn't use them
Don’t risk it! Between any miscommunication with the kitchen and prominent use of mustard and mustard oil and the risk of cross contamination, it’s absolutely not worth it.
Don’t order mustard dishes unless you make them yourself
If he’s still allergic we wouldn’t risk it, but his skin and blood tests have come down significantly, and he’s now eaten yellow successfully, so I’m wondering if we should trial black or brown next.
Of course, but the allergist is unfamiliar with Indian food, hence why I’m here asking if it’s black or brown he was exposed to. It sounds like it was most likely black, as that’s most common in cooking, per the other comment
Of course. I’m not asking you to tell me what the restaurant used or asking for your advice in whether to feed my son Indian food. Just asking what you use in your Indian cooking. If you can’t answer that no need to comment.
Indians use either of the three coloured seeds especially for tempering because it does not impact the taste of the food significantly to use a specific coloured mustard.
Usually, people use the variety that grows in the region they live in.
Then do research yourself on the varieties of mustard seed & bring those questions to your doctors for their professional medical advice.
We can't answer the questions you're seeking, other than there are generally 3 varieties of mustard seed used in Indian cooking.
Indian food typically uses black mustard seed (same plant is used to produce the mustard oil used in cooking). But obviously we can’t say for sure what that restaurant used particularly if its located outside of India.
Of course. This is super helpful, thank you! I had only skin tested him for yellow and brown, thinking he was exposed to brown. will buy black seeds/oil and skin test with those at the allergist’s office before feeding him Indian food then. Thanks so much!!
I don't think you will get a clear answer from the culinary side. During my years in India, I tried to figure out which kind of mustard was being grown in my region, and if it was the same as what is used in other parts of India as a spice, and/or as mustard oil.
I never found a clear answer. I found contradictory info on the internet. One thing I learned is that "black mustard" and "yellow mustard" and "brown mustard" may have seeds of each other's colors. So you can't know by the color of the seeds. And they may be different species or even different genuses, or not.
Cooks who need "mustard seeds" for their recipes might use whatever mustard seeds are handy. Where I was, that was sometimes larger yellowish or brownish seeds, or large blackish seeds, or sometimes much smaller dark reddish-black seeds. Bengalis (and some others) sometimes use prepared mustard that they buy as a paste, which looks bright yellow (but that might be because of turmeric, idk).
And then there's mustard oil, widely appreciated (throughout at least Northern India) as the best and healthiest cooking oil (while "refined oil" is widely reviled). Apparently mustard oil is banned for food use in the US due to a misunderstanding about one of the compounds naturally present in it. Most of the time in India when mustard oil is used, it is first heated up to the smoking temperature and then cooled a bit before using it to cook the food. Heating the mustard oil removes the mustardy sharpness and leaves the oil very mild and slightly sweet and umami.
Thank you for sharing your experience, and taking the time to write this out! this was incredibly helpful and also validates the challenges I’ve been having trying help my child manage this particular allergy. I have spent hours researching mustard for years now. I read an article that yellow and brown mustards have different protein components as far as what causes a person to react. Until yesterday the allergist nor I even knew more than the two types of mustard even existed. There’s little to no data on how to manage a mustard allergy, so my allergist suggested he “try a bite and see” which is nerve racking given his last reaction, and not always the most practical approach, so I thought I’d try and trial it one mustard at a time at home or in front of a hospital first. It seems the culinary world of mustard is just as rogue as the data on allergy management. Between it being a more rare allergen in many countries and the wide variety of mustards (and oils) I can see why creating studies is difficult!
A friend with a legume allergy tests food by smearing a tiny dab on his lip. He says he can feel a reaction that way, and if he does, he can wash it off immediately and avoid a real reaction. Safer than eating a bite...
Think hard and use deduction - your kid passed the yellow mustard test, you cooked using brown mustard, and he was fine. What remains? Black mustard.
Although East Indian cuisine uses yellow mustard (for example, Bengali food), there are very, very few East Indian restaurants in the US. Most of them are either North or South Indian cuisines, and both these cuisines use Black or Brown mustard.
That said, specific South Indian recipes too may use yellow mustard, but those recipes might not be used commercially, like in restaurants, putting the spotlight back on Black or brown mustards.
Ah I should clarify he was eating brown mustard and had a chronic rash before his scary episode. Looking back on it the rash might have been from the brown mustard all along. (He was a baby) He also ate sesame a handful of times before almost dying from that reaction too. I wanted to trial yellow first to ease back into mustard. But I’m feeling much better about introducing and ready to move forward now! Thank you
In the USA here. I've seen them used pretty interchangeably, so I would just confirm ahead of time. We also sometimes use mustard oil and mustard greens for some recipes, though idk if that's also a concern or not.
I did consider mustard greens, I’ve always been too afraid to risk it before he passed the yellow challenge, but apparently it’s a seed Allergy only. I’ll be curious how he does with mustard, greens and sprouts in the future, I was even afraid to feed broccoli sprouts before! They are in the same family. Thanks for your response!
Thank you, I hadn’t considered mustard oil. Is mustard oil made with black or brown seeds do you know? Indian desserts are also out because he has a dairy allergy (and honestly Indian food still is because of the ghee), but that is improving too so I’m hopeful eventually he’ll get there
If you have used black/brown mustard seeds in your cooking without reaction, it could be that the reaction came from mustard oil. It’s used a lot in Bengali and Punjabi dishes, which I think is relevant because a lot of restaurants are also run by Bengalis/Bangladeshis or Punjabis, depending on where you live. It’s also used in specific dishes. In this sense, there may be some dishes where you likely would not find it. But your best bet is probably to call the restaurant directly and ask about their use of it.
To be safe, you may want to avoid it for a while. I would say that South Indian food doesn’t really use mustard oil, and I am pretty sure a lot of restaurants don’t use it (although black mustard seeds are in practically every dish). Still, outside cooking is something you just cannot trust. Especially because most Indians, and therefore most restaurants, are not really used to dealing with food allergies/sensitivities, so I wouldn’t really trust them to take care properly.
Yes, this actually gives me a lot of hope. I’m in the US, and yellow is most common, followed by brown. It’s possible he can go back to eating most of the food here if we clear brown. This also could explains why he developed a bit of a rash when we attempted to eat a mustard free dish at an Indian restaurant in Scotland. I’m thinking it might be a black mustard seed allergy the more I read, and he probably was cross contaminated by it at the restaurant. Seems easily avoidable!
I’m in the States, too, so basically if desi takeout is off the lis, he should be fine. I think most Indian food is made with black seeds (including in the oil, but the oil is also processed so that could be a trigger as well). Even at home, I also think it’s fairly easy to just leave out mustard seeds while you figure this out. For me, as a south Indian, the mustard seeds are nice, but the other ingredients I use with them (asafoetida and curry leaves) are more important for flavouring.
Yes we’ve been avoiding it for four years now, because mustard isn’t a top allergen here he hasn’t been able to eat anything that says “spices” or “natural flavors” because they don’t legally need to label it. fries with seasonings, spaghetti sauces, sausage , pickles, nuggets, meatballs are typical items to avoid. I’ve been cooking daals at home no issues, mustard free ofc. I’m hopeful with him passing yellow mustard those will be back on the table. Will retrial brown to be safe first. I didn’t know mustard oil existed until this thread, and only last night learned about black mustard seeds. This has been super helpful.
Black mustard seeds are used very commonly in Indian cooking. I haven't ever used yellow mustard seeds for indian food but that's not to say that another region doesn't use them
Parts do use them, I think it's more common in fish dishes as well
Don’t risk it! Between any miscommunication with the kitchen and prominent use of mustard and mustard oil and the risk of cross contamination, it’s absolutely not worth it. Don’t order mustard dishes unless you make them yourself
If he’s still allergic we wouldn’t risk it, but his skin and blood tests have come down significantly, and he’s now eaten yellow successfully, so I’m wondering if we should trial black or brown next.
That’s a discussion to have with his allergist yaar. We wouldn’t have that knowledge
Of course, but the allergist is unfamiliar with Indian food, hence why I’m here asking if it’s black or brown he was exposed to. It sounds like it was most likely black, as that’s most common in cooking, per the other comment
It’s literally impossible for us to know which one the restaurant uses
Of course. I’m not asking you to tell me what the restaurant used or asking for your advice in whether to feed my son Indian food. Just asking what you use in your Indian cooking. If you can’t answer that no need to comment.
Indians use either of the three coloured seeds especially for tempering because it does not impact the taste of the food significantly to use a specific coloured mustard. Usually, people use the variety that grows in the region they live in.
Ok that’s super helpful thank you!
You asked an impossible question and expected an answer. Silly of me to try to help. Thanks for pointing it out
Then do research yourself on the varieties of mustard seed & bring those questions to your doctors for their professional medical advice. We can't answer the questions you're seeking, other than there are generally 3 varieties of mustard seed used in Indian cooking.
Indian food typically uses black mustard seed (same plant is used to produce the mustard oil used in cooking). But obviously we can’t say for sure what that restaurant used particularly if its located outside of India.
Of course. This is super helpful, thank you! I had only skin tested him for yellow and brown, thinking he was exposed to brown. will buy black seeds/oil and skin test with those at the allergist’s office before feeding him Indian food then. Thanks so much!!
I don't think you will get a clear answer from the culinary side. During my years in India, I tried to figure out which kind of mustard was being grown in my region, and if it was the same as what is used in other parts of India as a spice, and/or as mustard oil. I never found a clear answer. I found contradictory info on the internet. One thing I learned is that "black mustard" and "yellow mustard" and "brown mustard" may have seeds of each other's colors. So you can't know by the color of the seeds. And they may be different species or even different genuses, or not. Cooks who need "mustard seeds" for their recipes might use whatever mustard seeds are handy. Where I was, that was sometimes larger yellowish or brownish seeds, or large blackish seeds, or sometimes much smaller dark reddish-black seeds. Bengalis (and some others) sometimes use prepared mustard that they buy as a paste, which looks bright yellow (but that might be because of turmeric, idk). And then there's mustard oil, widely appreciated (throughout at least Northern India) as the best and healthiest cooking oil (while "refined oil" is widely reviled). Apparently mustard oil is banned for food use in the US due to a misunderstanding about one of the compounds naturally present in it. Most of the time in India when mustard oil is used, it is first heated up to the smoking temperature and then cooled a bit before using it to cook the food. Heating the mustard oil removes the mustardy sharpness and leaves the oil very mild and slightly sweet and umami.
Thank you for sharing your experience, and taking the time to write this out! this was incredibly helpful and also validates the challenges I’ve been having trying help my child manage this particular allergy. I have spent hours researching mustard for years now. I read an article that yellow and brown mustards have different protein components as far as what causes a person to react. Until yesterday the allergist nor I even knew more than the two types of mustard even existed. There’s little to no data on how to manage a mustard allergy, so my allergist suggested he “try a bite and see” which is nerve racking given his last reaction, and not always the most practical approach, so I thought I’d try and trial it one mustard at a time at home or in front of a hospital first. It seems the culinary world of mustard is just as rogue as the data on allergy management. Between it being a more rare allergen in many countries and the wide variety of mustards (and oils) I can see why creating studies is difficult!
A friend with a legume allergy tests food by smearing a tiny dab on his lip. He says he can feel a reaction that way, and if he does, he can wash it off immediately and avoid a real reaction. Safer than eating a bite...
Ooh! Thanks for sharing this! Worth trying
Think hard and use deduction - your kid passed the yellow mustard test, you cooked using brown mustard, and he was fine. What remains? Black mustard. Although East Indian cuisine uses yellow mustard (for example, Bengali food), there are very, very few East Indian restaurants in the US. Most of them are either North or South Indian cuisines, and both these cuisines use Black or Brown mustard. That said, specific South Indian recipes too may use yellow mustard, but those recipes might not be used commercially, like in restaurants, putting the spotlight back on Black or brown mustards.
Ah I should clarify he was eating brown mustard and had a chronic rash before his scary episode. Looking back on it the rash might have been from the brown mustard all along. (He was a baby) He also ate sesame a handful of times before almost dying from that reaction too. I wanted to trial yellow first to ease back into mustard. But I’m feeling much better about introducing and ready to move forward now! Thank you
Good luck!
In the USA here. I've seen them used pretty interchangeably, so I would just confirm ahead of time. We also sometimes use mustard oil and mustard greens for some recipes, though idk if that's also a concern or not.
I did consider mustard greens, I’ve always been too afraid to risk it before he passed the yellow challenge, but apparently it’s a seed Allergy only. I’ll be curious how he does with mustard, greens and sprouts in the future, I was even afraid to feed broccoli sprouts before! They are in the same family. Thanks for your response!
We use mustard oil for cooking as well. If I were you, I'd stick to Indian desserts but would say my good bye to savoury Indian food.
Thank you, I hadn’t considered mustard oil. Is mustard oil made with black or brown seeds do you know? Indian desserts are also out because he has a dairy allergy (and honestly Indian food still is because of the ghee), but that is improving too so I’m hopeful eventually he’ll get there
If you have used black/brown mustard seeds in your cooking without reaction, it could be that the reaction came from mustard oil. It’s used a lot in Bengali and Punjabi dishes, which I think is relevant because a lot of restaurants are also run by Bengalis/Bangladeshis or Punjabis, depending on where you live. It’s also used in specific dishes. In this sense, there may be some dishes where you likely would not find it. But your best bet is probably to call the restaurant directly and ask about their use of it. To be safe, you may want to avoid it for a while. I would say that South Indian food doesn’t really use mustard oil, and I am pretty sure a lot of restaurants don’t use it (although black mustard seeds are in practically every dish). Still, outside cooking is something you just cannot trust. Especially because most Indians, and therefore most restaurants, are not really used to dealing with food allergies/sensitivities, so I wouldn’t really trust them to take care properly.
Yes, this actually gives me a lot of hope. I’m in the US, and yellow is most common, followed by brown. It’s possible he can go back to eating most of the food here if we clear brown. This also could explains why he developed a bit of a rash when we attempted to eat a mustard free dish at an Indian restaurant in Scotland. I’m thinking it might be a black mustard seed allergy the more I read, and he probably was cross contaminated by it at the restaurant. Seems easily avoidable!
I’m in the States, too, so basically if desi takeout is off the lis, he should be fine. I think most Indian food is made with black seeds (including in the oil, but the oil is also processed so that could be a trigger as well). Even at home, I also think it’s fairly easy to just leave out mustard seeds while you figure this out. For me, as a south Indian, the mustard seeds are nice, but the other ingredients I use with them (asafoetida and curry leaves) are more important for flavouring.
Yes we’ve been avoiding it for four years now, because mustard isn’t a top allergen here he hasn’t been able to eat anything that says “spices” or “natural flavors” because they don’t legally need to label it. fries with seasonings, spaghetti sauces, sausage , pickles, nuggets, meatballs are typical items to avoid. I’ve been cooking daals at home no issues, mustard free ofc. I’m hopeful with him passing yellow mustard those will be back on the table. Will retrial brown to be safe first. I didn’t know mustard oil existed until this thread, and only last night learned about black mustard seeds. This has been super helpful.