Herbs Past and Present by Charles Garcia
Mustard: Not Just For Your Hot Dogs A few days ago driving a young friend through beautiful Sonoma County, he asked me what all the yellow wildflowers were. Luckily for him, or for me, those weren’t wildflowers. While I love wildflowers I can only name one for sure and the other on a good day. What he was marveling at was wild mustard. (If I can’t drink it, smoke it or tincture it, I have no idea what kind of plant it is.) (I’m an herbalist not a botanist.)
This spring I hope to attend the Mustard Festival in nearby Napa County. Although more widely known for its vineyards and wineries, Napa is also home of gourmet mustard makers. It is fitting to have the festival in Napa, as thousands of acres of wild mustard bloom amongst the vineyards at this time of year. Artists and photographers come to this county each year at this time to record the stunning color of the blossoms. Thousands more come to taste and test new flavors in mustard. The familiar ballpark mustard will be featured, along with the classic Dijon styles. More exotic flavors will be showcased, such as, honey mustard, chive and garlic mustard, pepper corns with ginger mustard, fruit mustards featuring apricot, orange, and lemon lime, and finally the new four alarm spicy mustards, with habanero peppers and tomatoes. Over a thousand mustards will be available to the mustard discriminating public. To set this off will be the beautiful fields of wild mustard, blooming like golden yellow lakes throughout the vineyards.
For all this beauty (and mustard mania), we have one man to thank. Founder of the Missions, enslaver of the Indians, and candidate for sainthood – Father Junipero Serra.
Although various species of mustard are native to most regions of the world, Franciscan Father Junipero Serra brought wild mustard to California. The legend is he sowed wild mustard to give travelers a path in the spring. If this is true, then the good padre miscalculated. For hundreds of miles in all directions the mustard plant is the dominant feature of the landscape. It is a brilliant yellow and extends to the horizon. Even in vacant city lots, the mustard blossom blooms and momentarily covers up the ugliness of the city. But don’t try and find your way along the coast by following mustard plants. You will end up across the state into the Sierra Nevada range.
Mustard has been known to humankind for several millennia. It is mentioned in the Bible (I’ll let you find the reference.) and was popular with the Romans. The Romans may have actually created the first mustard condiment (called must) by crushing the seeds and combining it with unfermented grape juice. This was used as a paste to spread on meat. It may have been used also to cover up the rancidity of bad beef. This type of wild mustard is known by its botanical name as Brissica rapa. It is the same type brought to California by Father Serra.
Another type of mustard plant is the Brissica alba, a native of the Mediterranean region. This plant produces large yellow seeds, (not the type mentioned in the Bible) and is widely used in the production of American ballpark mustard. It is the mildest of mustards and most widely recognized on store shelves.
Various ethnic groups have taken mustard to heart. Germans, English and Italians to name a few. Mustard greens were a cheap and nutritious vegetable green for many people throughout the ages. My mother remembered gathering mustard plants by the bag full with Italian children on the Los Angeles hills eighty years ago. Her mother cooked them like spinach. (Nowadays you pay a premium for “organic” mustard greens.)
Mustard greens are high in magnesium which helps regulate cholesterol and blood sugar levels. It is also high in vitamin A and C, both recommended for warding off infections. Native Californians who found themselves incarcerated at the missions had a higher survival rate if they ate a great deal of mustard greens. Properly prepared, a pound of these greens can provide 30 percent of your daily protein requirements. Scurvy ridden sailors who stumbled ashore at Mission Monterey were often given the greens to improve their health. It no doubt was a nice break from salt pork and green biscuits.
But Father Serra probably never thought of mustard as a health food. He was more likely aware of its healing power when applied directly to the skin. When the seeds are crushed into a powder, it makes the basic ingredient for the mustard plaster. Once a common cure among doctors, herbalists, and grandmothers, the mustard plaster is used to stimulate circulation to various parts of the body. Mixed with wheat or corn flour and hot water, the plaster is spread on a thin piece of cloth and placed on the affected area. A fresh plaster is placed on the same area before the old one becomes cold.
The chemical formulation of mustard actually increases blood circulation in the areas where the plaster dressing is applied. Increased blood flow to inflamed areas will quicken the natural healing process. Care must be taken to see that no chemical burns occur during this process.
Doctors of the last century were able to stimulate blood flow in seriously injured patients by carefully placing mustard plasters near various organs. Though shot in the brain, President Lincoln was kept alive for hours by the judicious use of mustard plasters.
This treatment was also used for patients suffering from pneumonia, bronchitis, and excessive build up of phlegm due to colds or flu. While not the primary treatment for bronchial distress, the plasters did warm the chest and help open airway passages.
For less serious injuries, like sprains, rheumatism, and backache the plasters can provide some pain relief by acting as a counter irritant. The effect is similar to the slight stinging sensation caused by Tiger Balm or Ben Gay salves.
To increase the effects of mustard, powdered red pepper and ginger can be added to the plasters. I’ve done this several times for clients, including my own mother. For one client with an injured shoulder, great care had to be taken to avoid blistering of the skin. After a few applications of the plaster, the chronic pain began to ease. Two weeks of treatment brought enough movement to his shoulder to continue his less than illustrious softball career.
Another client had an ankle injury from a biking accident four months before. The swelling at the ankle was old and hard. We were at a primitive skills conference in Maryland, so I didn’t have access to my usual herbal pharmacy. No problem. I raided the kitchen. The Quaker Peace Camp where the conference was held at had a well-stocked kitchen with lots of powdered hot English mustard. I wrapped his ankle with the mustard plaster and wild comfrey, which was thankfully growing on the property. His girlfriend took notes and applied another plaster that evening. The following day he was literally dancing around the campfire without pain. Much to my surprise he was still out of pain the following morning.
Most of my clients, though, will only experience mustard through their tastes buds. Which is not a bad way when you come to think of it.
So when you spread that mustard, think beyond hot dogs.
As in all things, moderation and knowledge is suggested in the use of herbal remedies. Please contact an herbalist or knowledgeable physician concerning herbal treatments.
