I found the following on a website related to mustard and its health effects. By the way mustard is good for diabetes. I say that because over 2 million African American have diabetes. For more info on black and diabetes please visit: http://www.buydominica.com/naturalhealth/diabetesafricaamerican.php

Fresh Ingredients: Pungent panacea

01 Sep 2006
EU HOOI KHAW

The ancient Greeks believed in its medicinal value, as did the father of medicine, Hippocrates, who used it for the relief of muscular pains.

Mustard then was thought by the Greeks to have been created by Asclepious, the god of healing.

Charlemagne, the ruler of western Europe in the 9th century, decreed that mustard be grown in imperial farms there. It was the Romans who started to grind mustard into a paste and use it as a condiment.

Closer home, the Chinese and the Indians have been using the spice for thousands of years.

I remember the cold chicken in gelatine (or aspic) that used to be so popular in Chinese restaurants, served with some English yellow mustard.

You would find black mustard seeds sprinkled liberally on Indian dishes. And what would a nice, grilled steak and sausages be, without a dollop of mustard by the side?

Belonging to the Brassica family, which includes broccoli, cauliflower, radishes and turnips, mustard comes in three main types: black (Brassica nigra), white or yellow (Brassica alba) and brown (Brassica juncea).

The mustard family also includes plants grown for their leaves, like arugula, as well as mustard greens like kai lan.

Mustard becomes a condiment when it is ground into a paste, after soaking the seeds in vinegar, wine or water.

The pungency of mustard comes out when the powder is mixed with cold water, and the enzymatic process that initiates this can only be stopped by adding hot water, vinegar or oil.

The most pungent mustard is the black variety, the mildest is the white.

The brown seeds are used to make Dijon mustard. Various herbs and spices are added to mustard preparations, such as turmeric which colours English white mustard. But garlic, pepper, tarragon and paprika are also popularly used.

Eat more mustard seeds if you have asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure and experience difficulty in sleeping with menopause.

Mustard also contains phytonutrient compounds that protect against cancer, particularly gastrointestinal and colorectal cancer, according to studies.

Here is a recipe using the Indian black mustard seeds for a spicy, piquant topping for grilled eggplant. It tastes great as a cold appetizer and can be made long before a party.

GRILLED EGGPLANT

WITH SPICY RELISH

6 small eggplants or two large ones (the long variety)

2 tbsps oil

? tsp salt

1? tsps black mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

? tsp fennel seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

1? tsps garam masala

1 tsp chilli powder

3 medium tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

Pinch of black pepper

2 tbsps plain low-fat yoghurt

? tsp finely chopped garlic

? tsp grated ginger

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander

Method

1. Cut eggplant into thick slices (do not peel). Brush lightly with oil and some salt and pepper. Grill in the oven, two minutes on each side and leave to cool. You can do this in your oven toaster, putting a foil sheet at the bottom.

2. Dry roast the fennel, cumin and mustard seeds on a pan over a low fire. Remove. Heat oil in pan, Add these seeds, the curry leaves, garam masala and chilli powder to fry over medium heat, taking care they do not burn.

3. When the mixture starts to splatter, add tomatoes, black pepper and salt and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Set aside.

4. In a separate bowl, stir together yoghurt, garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt.

5. Arrange eggplant slices on a serving platter, Spoon the tomato mixture evenly on each slice. Top with some yoghurt mixture and garnish with chopped coriander.

Note: You can peel tomatoes after dunking them in boiling water for a minute, and splashing cold water on them. Alternatively you can use a can of whole peeled tomatoes by S&W.��

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