Sage is the dried leaf of Salvia officinalis which is a memeber of the mint family. It grows and is cultivated in Yugoslavia, Portugal, Spain, Cyprus, England, Canada and the USA.

It is a hardy, variable sub-shrub, native of southern Europe, often cultivated as a spice and for medicinal purposes. It is also grown for ornament. Stems – shrubby, white woolly, 15-30 cm tall; leaves are aromatic, petiolate, oblong. The flowers are blue, purple or white in simple racemes. The cultivation of garden sage has been tried in Jammu for its essential oil which is now being imported for use in soap and perfumery industry. The plants are reported to have done well, the quality of the oil obtained being comparable with oils of foreign origin. It is also grown in vilgiris.

Young plants which have not reached the flowering or seeding stage, possess the finest aroma and contain the largest amount of oil. Harvesting is done by hand or by cutting the tops with a mower. Sometimes whole plants are cut by small sickles and dried. Sage is dried in the shade to retain as much of the natural colour and flavour as possible. The leaves and small tops are tied into small bundles or spread on screens and dried in a well-ventilated warm room away from direct sunlight. If the leaves are dusty or gritty, they are washed in cold water before drying. The dried bunches can be sold without further treatment or the leaves may be pulverised for the packeted herb trade.

Sage growing wild in the Dalmatian region of Yugoslavia is considered by the trade to be the best in quality and the product derived from cultivated plants in this region is rated next in preference. The odour is strong, fragrant and aromatic, and the taste aromatic, warm, somewhat astringent and a little bitter. Other products such as Spanish sage and Greek sage derived from other species of Salvia are used either as substitutes or adulterants of the genuine product.

Composition

Moisture : 5.7%, Protein: 10.2%, Fat: 14.1%, Crude fibre : 16.0%, Carbohydrates : 46.3%, Total ash: 7.7%, Calcium: 1.8%, Phosphorus: 0.09%, Iron: 0.03%, Sodium: 0.01%, Potassium: 1.0%, Vitamin-A: 2395 I.U./100gm, Vitamin B: 0.75mg/100gm, Vitamin B2: 0.34, Vitamin C: 39.8, Niacin: 5.7mg, Calorific value: 415 calories per 100gm.

Volatile Oil

On steam distillation, dry sage leaves yield an essential oil, 1.3-2.6% on the weight of dry leaves. The oil is produced commercially in Yugoslavia, Spain, Corfu, Syria, and the Commonwealth of Independent States, and sample from different sources show considerable variation in properties and constituents. By hydrodistillation, the following contents were found: Pipene, cineole, linalyl acetate, thujone, borneoil, bornyl acetate, farnesol and camphor. Linalyl acetate content of the oil is too low for the commercial exploitation of the oil for the ester. The quality of sage oil is determined on the basis of its thujone content; the higher the thujone content, the better the oil

In addition, the leaves contain 3% tannin, fumaric, malic, and ursolic acids, a bitter principle, picrosalvin, saponin, pentoses, a wax and potassium nitrate.

Uses

As Food Flavourant

Sage is the most popular herb for use in culinary preparations in the West. It is used in pork sausage and baked loaf. The colour of the dried herb is grey, tinged with green; the aroma is strong, fragrant and spicy. The taste is fragrant, spicy, warm, astringent and a little bitter. Sage is the most important herb in every kitchen for flavouring meat and fish dishes and in making poultry stuffings. It is used in poultry dressing, sausage, liver sausage and hamburger seasoning.

Sage has been extensively employed in the food industry as a standard spice in making stuffing for fowl, meats and sausage. It is one of the most important culinary herbs. Dried and powdered leaves are mixed with cooked vegetables and sprinkled on cheese dishes, cooked meats and other similar preparations. Fresh sage leaves are used in salads and sandwiches. The young leaves are pickled, and used for making tea. The apples or tumours on the sage caused as a result of puncturing by a species of Cynips are made into a conserve with honey.

Medicinal Uses

Sage is a mild tonic, astringent, and carminative. An infusion of the leaves is used as a gargle in the treatment of sore-throats. Hot infusion is said to be diaphoretic. Extracts of sage leaves are also reported to be antipyretic. A strong infusion of the herb is used to dry up the breast milk for weaning children. Sage has been prescribed to cure female disorders since ancient times and estrogenic substances are said to have been extracted from the dried leafy tops. Dried leaves are used as a fumitory. Leaves rubbed on teeth function as a good dentifrice. The herbs has been used in tooth and mouth washes, gargles, poultices, tooth powders, hair tonics and hair dressings.

Use in Perfumery

Sage oil finds use in perfumes as a deodorant, insecticidal preparations, for the treatment of thrush and gigivitis, and as carminative. The oil is used as a convulsant, and it resembles wormwood oil in action but less active.

Sage oil is used for adulterating rosemary and lavender oils. Sage oil itself is adulterated with American cedar leaf oil which also contains thujone.

Use as Antioxidant

Sage and sage oil exhibit antioxidant properties. Fixe antioxidant fractions with antioxidant indices between 8.8 and 10.0 have been isolated from the leaves of S. officinalis, one of which appears to be polyhydric phenol.

Use of Residue

After steam distillation, the residual plant material still contains constituents of considerable flavour value. Hot water extracts of the material on concentration yield an oleoresin, which is used in conjunction with the oil for flavouring foods.

Idly is a south-Indian dish that is predominantly had for breakfast. This however is not necessarily true, as it is also eaten for dinner and even tea time.

It’s a great meal, and suprisingly these small fluffy buns makes the tummy full with just a few pieces. Today, I will show you how to make Masala Idli, and I bet you will love it!

Ingredients:

250gms raw rice

25gms Urad Dhall (Whole White Dhall)

1/2 coconut scrapped

1 small onion

2 green chillies

A few coriander leaves chopped

Some tamarind

Salt and chilli powder to taste

Instructions

1. Wash and soak the rice and whole white dhall in water for about 6 hours.

2. Drain out the water and grind the dhall and rice together until they become a smooth paste.

3. Add the coconut and tamarind and grind once again until they become smooth.

4. Mix in the rest of the above ingredients and then add enough water to form a thick batter.

5. Lightly grease the cups of the ‘Idli Stand’.

6. Put 1 large cup of water in the pressure cooker.

7. Fill the cups of the Idli stand with batter and place the stand in the cooker.

8. Close the lid, do not use the regulator for making the idlis.

9. Let the fire be slow within 6-8 minutes, and the idlis would be ready.

10. Serve hot with either chuntey or sambar.

Ingredients

200gm bean sprouts/fondly known as ‘taugeh’

500gm mee (one packet would do)

Garnishing Items

1 fresh red chilli finely chopped

1 fresh green chilli finely chopped

4 fried tofu sliced

4-5 shallots peeled, cut fine and fried

1 lime cut in slices

Sauce Items

5-6 shallots

1 tsp sugar

2 tbl spoon of oil

400gm of sweet potatoes/normal potatoes

1/4 cup tamarind juice

700ml thick first coconut milk

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

10 dried red chillies

Salt to taste

Method

1. Boil the red chillies in little water for about 10 minutes. Then grind in an electric blender or grinding stone. Keep aside. Pound the shallots for the sauce.
2. Boil the sweet potatoes in little water. Cook until soft, peel and mash up completely.
3. Mix 2 teaspoon of asam jawa/tamarind with 1/4 cup of water extract the juice. Keep aside.
4. Boil some water to scald the mee and the bean sprouts for 3 minutes
5. Heat oil and fry the chilli paste and shallots add the mashed sweet potatoes, sugar and salt. Stir the mix gently.
6. When the gravy boils, add the first coconut milk. Stir and turn off the flame.
7. Add the mee and bean sprouts in a bowl and pour the gravy on top and garnish. Serve hot.

I will write up another recipe on Mee Goreng, which is also another common dish in Malaysia, and also a favourite among the Malaysians. Thank you!

Composition
Moisture: 14.3%; protein: 7.5%; ether extract: 36.4%; carbohydrates: 28.5%; fibre: 11.6%; mineral matter: 1.7%; calcium: 0.12%; phosphorus: 0.24%; iron: 4.6mg; volatile oil: 6-16%; starch: 14.6-24.2%; pentosans: 2.25%; furfural: 1.5%; pectin: 0.6%.
* Nutmeg is only a fair source of vitamins. The principal constituents are fixed oil, volatile oil and starch. The flavour and therapeutic actions are due to the volatile oil.

History of Nutmeg
A spice that has long been prized for it’s medicinal properties, the history of nutmeg goes back to the 1st Century as evidenced in writings by Pliny, the Roman philosopher. In Indian Vedic writings it is recommended for headaches, fever and bad breath, while Arabian writing praises it for stomach ailments and as an aphrodisiac.

Nutmeg is actually the seed from an evergreen tree. The scientific name for the most common type is Myristica fragrans. This plant actually produces both nutmeg and mace. The tree is indigenous to Australasia and tropical regions of Southeast Asia. There are a couple of species of trees used to produce nutmeg, the Fragrant Nutmeg is the most common, the Papuan Nutmeg and Bombay Nutmeg are less common.

Prized in medieval times for it’s uses in cuisine, nutmeg was traded in the middle ages by the Arabs. The spice has always been very popular and was even rumored to ward off the plague and cause self-abortions. While it might not ward off the plague, it is an abortifacient, and pregnant women should probably avoid nutmeg. Nutmeg in high doses can be toxic so it might be best to stick to a little sprinkle here and there.

Nutmeg is native to the Banda islands of Indonesia and, as is the history with many spices, the trade in nutmeg was dominated by Portugal in the 15th century. Then, in the 17th century the Dutch became the predominant traders of this precious spice. Back then, the only source of nutmeg was on Run Island and there were many struggles between the British and the Dutch over control of the Island and the nutmeg trade.

During the Napoleonic wars, the English did gain control and proceeded to plant nutmeg trees in Grenada and Zanzibar. This ensured that the British would not lose complete control of the Nutmeg trade should they ever decide to give up the island again. The expansion of nutmeg production also had the effect of making nutmeg accessible to more people at lower prices.

Today, nutmeg is produced in many places including the India, Malaysia, various Caribbean islands, New Guinea, and Sri Lanka. About 10,000 tons a year is produced and mainly used in the US, Japan, Europe and India.

While nutmeg is quite affordable today, it wasn’t always that way. In fact, throughout history nutmeg has been quite expensive. A few hundred years ago, a small bag of nutmeg would have brought enough money for the holder to be financially independent for the rest of his life!

Quality Grades
1. Whole, Sound Nutmegs
a. Large
b. Medium
c. Small
The grade of nutmegs are of highest interest in the spice trade but too expensive for oil distillation.

2. Sound Shrivels:
These nutmegs are used for grinding but are normally too expensive for oil distillation.

3. Rejections:
These considerably lower priced nutmegs can be used for oil distillation

4. Broken and Wormy:
This is the cheapest grade, large quantities of which are shipped yearly to Europe, especially
to Hamburg for oil distillation. This quality grade comprises all broken and loosened up
nutmegs which seem to contain much less fatty oil than the sound nuts. For this reason, it is
very suitable for distilling.

Volatile Oil
The percentage of volatile oil in nutmeg varies from 6 to 16%, according to the origin and quality of the spice. Wormy nutmegs give a much higher yield than sound ones; in the former, most of the fixed oil, present in the endosperm which tends to retain the volatile oil during distillation, would have been devoured by worms, while the strongly aromatic oil in the inner layer of perisperm remains intact.

Commercial oil is derived from broken and wormy nutmegs. The material is comminuted, pressed to remove fixed oil, and immediately subjected to steam distillation. Loss of volatile oil from ground nutmegs is relatively rapid (about 80% in 2 months). Incubation within distilled water may be necessary to recover the total oil content.

Oil of nutmeg is almost colourless or pale yellow liquid with a characteristic odour. On ageing, it partly resinifies and becomes viscous. The aroma of East Indian oil is much more pronounced and more characteristic of the spice than that of West Indian oil.

Nutmeg Butter
Nutmeg contains 38%-43% of ether extractable material which, in addition to glycerides, contains a volatile oil (6-13%), a small quantity of resin, and a substantial proportion of unsaponifiable material.

It is highly aromatic fat which is obtained from damaged or worm-eaten kernels which are unfit for sale as a spice. The material is ground and cooked or steamed before pressing.

Leaves
The leaves of M.fragrans yield on water-distillation of a light brown volatile oil with a pleasing spicy odour.

Bark
The bark of the tree yields 0.14% of a volatile oil. Volatile oil is also obtained from its flowers. The stems contain tannin-mucilage complex.

Fruit rind
Fresh pericarp from ripe fruit (about 80% of the whole fruit) contains an acidic (23%) astringent juice with an aromatic flavour. Analysis of the fruit rind gave the following values:
Moisture: 86.8%; protein: 1.0%; ether extract: 0.6%; carbohydrates: 11.2%; and mineral matter: 0.6% calcium: 0.04%; phosphorous: 0.01%; iron: 2mg/100gm; carotene (Vit. A): 8 I.U./100gm.

Adulteration
Nutmegs are sometimes adulterated with ‘false’ nutmegs (M. malabaricum) or Bombay nutmegs which are practically odourless and tasteless.

The oil is sometimes adulterated by additions of turpentine oil or pinene, limited amounts of which scarcely affect its physical and chemical constants. Since pinene is a natural constituent of nutmeg oil, it is difficult to detect moderate additions by chemical means. An expert will employ organoleptic tests for evaluation of this oil.

Uses
Medicine
Both nutmeg and mace are used as condiment and in medicine. In eastern countries, they are used more as a drug than as condiment. Nutmeg is stimulant, carminative, astringent, and aphrodisiac; it is used in tonics and electuaries and forms a constituent of preparations prescribed for dysentery, stomachache, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, malaria, rheumatism, sciatica and early stages of leprosy. Excessive doses have a narcotic effect; symptoms of delirium and epileptic convulsions appear after 1-6 hours. Mace is similarly used. It is also chewed for masking foul breath.

In the Middle Ages, Europeans who could afford spices especially used nutmeg to flavor pudding and beverages, including spiced wine. A Chaucer poem recommends keeping nutmegs on hand to put in ale. Nutmeg flavoring in beverages continues today with Coca Cola, which reportedly includes it in its secret recipe.

This could have something to do with the flavoring qualities of nutmeg and mace, which are spicier than most people imagine. Despite their use in mild dishes like custard and stewed fruit, nutmeg and mace actually include some of the same oils that flavor pepper and cloves.

Nutmeg and mace also contain hallucinogens and can be fatally toxic if used in a large quantity, for example, eating an entire nutmeg. However, the small quantities normally used in cooking are considered safe.

Regarding its health benefits, nutmeg is believed to aid digestion and relieve nausea and the sensation of vomiting. Nutmeg oil is used a component in aftershave and scents for men, where it lends its characteristically spicy scent.

And while nutmeg may be used liberally in culinary preparations, care should be taken not to consume large amounts of it in concentrated form, as it is known to have some drug-like properties that can cause hallucinations and illness.

Oil of nutmeg or mace is employed for flavouring food products and liquor. It is used for scenting soaps, tobacco and dental creams, and also in perfumery. It is mildly counter-irritant and used in liniments and hair lotions. It has been recommended for the treatment of inflammations of bladder and urinary tract. The oil is somewhat toxic owing to the presence of myristicin and should be used with caution.

There are however a lot of nutmeg based oils in the market today which is used to help with muscle cramps, joint pains and relieves the muscles. However, it should only be used for external use. These oils are also known as ‘minyak panas’ and there are many varieties in the market today.

Ancient Chinese medicine states that nutmeg or mace is used Orally for diarrhea, nausea, gastric spasms, flatulence, and gastric mucosal inflammation. It is also used for cancer, kidney disease, insomnia, increasing menstrual flow, inducing abortion, as a hallucinogen, and a general tonic.

It is also used topically as an analgesic, especially for rheumatism, mouth sores, and toothache.

Nutmeg butter is used as a mild external stimulant in ointments, hair lotions, and plasters and forms a useful application in cases of rheumatism, paralysis and sprains. It is used in perfumes for imparting a spicy odour and in the manufacture of soaps and candles. Nutmeg butter is sometimes substituted by fats from other Myristica spp.

Alcoholic extracts of nutmeg show antibacterial activity against Micrococcus var, aureus. Aqueous decoctions are toxic to cockroaches. Myristicin present in the kernel may be employed as an additive to pyrethrum to enhance the toxicity of the latter to houseflies; myristicin by itself is inactive. The volatile oil from the leaf was weedicidal properties. It may also be for scenting soaps, dentifrices, chewing gums and tobacco. It is not produced on a commercial scale.

The pericarp or rind of the ripe fruit is locally used in pickles. It is also used in the preparation of jellies. The half-ripe fruits are preserved and served as sweets here in Malaysia. It is sold as ‘Buah Pala‘ sweets and is famous in the state of Penang.

Links
Study of Aphrodisiacs and Nutmeg
The Spice Forum – Medicinal Values of Spices

Books to Look At
Nathaniel’s Nutmeg: Adventures of a Spice Trader

200gms rice boiled

125 grams sugar

A few drops of rose essence

A few drops of yellow food colouring

75gms each of sliced dates, almonds, walnuts, cherries, raisins

4 tbl spoons of cream/vanilla/

Instructions

1. Add sugar, cream, essence and colour to the rice.

2. Arrange rice, cherries, raisins, dates, and nuts in a layer in a bowl.

3. Start and finish with a layer of rice.

4. Press down firmly and cover with an aluminium foil

5. Place the bowl in a steamer and steam for half an hour.

6. Unmould and serve hot.

Ingredients

1 big brinjal

1 tbl spoon of fresh milk

1 tbl spoon of lime juice

A few sprigs sliced parsley

2 tomatoes sliced thin

2 capsicums cut into strips

1 small onion, minced

Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Hold the brinjal over gas flame until its skin turns black.

2. Peel and mash to a paste along with salt, lime juice and milk.

3. Pile the mixture in the centre of a plate.

4. Mix in the parsley and onion.

5. Decorate with vegetables.

Ingredients

4 cups finely chopped spinach

1 tsp flour

250gms fresh paneer chopped into fine pieces

1 tbl spoon mango powder/1 tbl spoon lime juice

1 medium potato blanched and pureed

1 small onion minced

1/2 piece ginger crushed

4 flakes of garlic, crushed

Salt and chilly powder to taste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp powdered cumin & coriander seeds

Instructions

1. Cut the paneer into small pieces

2. Put the spinach along with the above ingredients except the flour in a pan and cook without adding water.

3. Mash to a paste and pour a cup of water.

4. Reheat and add the flour, keep stirring until mixture becomes thick.

5. Now, add the paneer cubes and cook for around 5 minutes.

6. Serve hot!

There you go, plain and simple and you have a wonderful North Indian dish to try out.

Ingredients

1 Lemon-sized ball of tamarind

A handful of coriander leaves

A few mint leaves

1 small onion

2 green chillies

2 tbl spoon of grated jaggery (Indian Sugar)

6 dates, pounded

1 sour apple, cored

15gms of raisins

1 tbl spoon of cumin seed

1 tbl spoon of mango powder

1 tbl spoon of garam masala

ground dry ginger

coriander powder

salt to taste

Instructions

1. Grind all the above ingredients to fine paste with the exception of tamarind.

2. Soak tamarind in one cup of water for 15 minutes

3. Squeeze the tamarind pulp out.

4. Mix the tamarind with the ground paste and sieve through a fine sieve.

5. This is chat. You may now add boiled potatoes chopped finely in small cubes and mix it with the chat.

Botanical Name: Brassica nigra – “True Mustard” (Black Mustard)
B.alba – White Mustard
B. juncea (Linn) Czernjajev – “Indian Mustard” (Brown Mustard)
Family: Cruciferae
Indian Names: Bengali: Sarisha; Gujurati: Rai; Hindi, Punjabi: Rai, Banarsi Rai, Safed Rai, Kalee, Sarson; Kannada: Sasave; Kashmiri: Aasur, Sarisa; Sanskrit: Asuri, Bimbata; Tamil: Kadugu; Telegu: Avalu; Malay: Biji Sawi; Chinese: Chieh; Italian: Senape; Spanish: Mostaza; Arabic: Khardal

Description:

The genus Brassica consists of over 150 species of annual or biennial herbs several of which are cultivated as oilseed crops (as rape, sarson, toria, etc;), or as vegetable or fodder crops. The seeds of only the above three species have condimental value. The oil yielding brassicas which are predominantly cross-pollinated, constitute a group about which considerable confusion exists, regarding their identification and nomenclature.

The ‘mustard flour’ of commerce is a mixture of the flours of two types of mustard seeds; brown or black mustard (Brassica nigra) and white mustard (Sinapis alba). Its condimental properties are largely due to the essential principles of these two seeds.

The essential principle, or volatile oil, of brown mustard is allyl isothiocyanate, while that of white or yellow mustard is acrinyl isothiocyanate. The essential principles are not present as such in the seeds of brown and white mustards but are produced as a result of hydrolysis of their respective glycosides, ’sinigrin’ (potassium myronate) and ’sinalbin’, by the action of the enzyme myrosin, in the presence of moisture under suitable conditions.

In brief, these condimental brassicas or rather different varities of mustard are discussed below:

1. White Mustard (Sinapsis alba or B.hirta)

White mustard (also commonly called ‘yellow mustard’) or ’sufed rai’ is a self-sterile species, easily recognised by its hairy stem devoid of any bloom. It has irregularly pinnate leaves, large yellow flowers, and spreading, few seeded and hairy pods. These have long empty, knife-like beaks. The seeds are large, white and lightly pitted and give considerable amount of mucilage with cold water.

S. alba is a native of southern Europe and western Asia. It is grown only as a garden crop, in temperate upper India during winter. In India, it does not contribute to the supplies of mustard or mustard oil.

Composition:

Moisture: 7.2%; protein: 27.6%; crude fat: 29.7%; N-free extract: 20.8%; fibre: 10.3%; and ash: 4.5%. The seeds also contain the glucoside, ’sinablin’ and the enzyme ‘myrosin’. In the presence of water, the latter hydrolyses the former, producing acrinyl isothiocyanate, which is only slightly volatile, sinapine acid sulphate and dextrose. The yield of volatile oil is low, 0.16% only.

2. Black Mustard or True Mustard (B.nigra Koch)

Black mustard or ‘banarsi rai’ is highly self-sterile and is quite distinct from other brassicas. The fruits at maturity are closely appressed to the infloreescene axis. The seed coat shows fine reticulations under a lens, and is mucilaginous. The outer-epidermis is covered with a thin cuticle. B.nigra Koch has been cultivated in Europe since the early 13th century and is now reported to be growing wild.

Composition:
The seed contains moisture: 7.6%; N-Substances: 29.1%; N-free extract: 19.2%; ether extract: 28.2%; crude fibre: 11%; ash: 5%. The seeds yield 23-33% fixed oil. The volatile oil of mustard is obtained in a yield of 0.7-1.2% after the hydrolisis of the glucoside, sinigrin, by the enzyme myrosin (Indian seeds are reported to yield 0.68% volatile oil). The oil is optically inactive and consists almost entirely of allyl isothiocyanate (93-99%). Specifications for the pharmaceutical oil are (BPC), and allyl isothiocyanate content not less than 92%.

For the preparation of volatile oil, the fixed oil is first cold pressed from the seeds which are subsequently macerated with tepid water for several hours, and steam-distilled. The oil obtained is an extremely powerful irritant owing to its volatility and penetrating power, and is responsible for the painful nature of alcohol, or in the form with 50 times its volume of alcohol, or in the form of rubefacient. It is also used in cases of pleurisy and pneumonia.

Indian Mustard or Rai is a self-fertile species and is a very variable annual. Its narrow based leaves are not stem-clasping like those of atoria and sarson. Rai matures later than either. The seeds are rugose, reddish-brown, and generally smaller.

Uses of Mustard Seeds
Black mustard is ground with white mustard for preparing table mustard and also various medicinal mustard preparations such as bath mustard, mustard bran, and mustard flour. The expressed oil has mild rubefacient properties and is used as a liniment. The technical oil obtained during the preparation of mustard also contains the oil from white mustard seeds. In Europe, it is used for making soap, for burning and as a lubricant. In India, seeds of black mustard are used in pickles and curries.

This well known spice has its use in medicine as a stimulating external application. The rubefacient action causes a mild irritation to the skin, stimulating the circulation in that area and relieving muscular and skeletal pain. Its stimulating, diaphoretic action can be utilized in the way that Cayenne and Ginger are. For feverishness, colds, and influenza, Mustard may be taken as a tea or ground and sprinkled into a bath. The stimulation of circulation will aid chilblains as well as the conditions already mentioned. An infusion or poultice of Mustard will aid in cases of bronchitis.

 

Mustard oil itself is said to be useful to cure dandruff and to give a healthy shining looking scalp and hair. Some of the selected methods are as follows:

Home Remedies for Dandruff and Itchiness
* Add 1 teaspoon of camphor to half a cup of coconut or neem oil. Store it in glass container.
Dosage: Massage this oil into the scalp before bed.
* Mix 1 teaspoon of castor, mustard and coconut oil each and massage into the scalp.
* Mix one part of lemon juice with two parts of coconut oil. Massage into the roots of the hair regularly.

Home Remedies for Conditioning and Achieving Softer hair
* Massage the root of the hair with a mixture of the yellow part of one egg, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp mustard or olive oil. Wash off after one hour. This will make the hair soft and lustrous.
* Mix 1 ½ tsp mustard oil, 1 ½ cup tea extract, 1 egg yellow and juice of lemon in henna (mehendi) powder. Wash off after one hour.
* Apply luke warm mustard oil to the hair and scalp the night before you wash it.

Preservation Properties:

Of the spices, condiments and herbs studied with respect to their effect on yeast fermentation in wines, etc, mustard flour was easily the most efficacious being followed in order by cloves and cinnamon. Little or no preservative action could be detected with cardamoms, cumin, coriander, caraway, celery seed, pimento, nutmeg, ginger, thyme, bay leaves, marjoram, savory, rosemary, black or cayenne peppers. Comparing the stronger of the above preservatives with benzoic acid and sulphur dioxide, it was found that mustard was definitely stronger than either of the two chemical preservatives. Ground cloves has a potency of the same order as that of benzoic acid, and superior to that of sulphur dioxide.

Recommended Books
Gourmet Mustards – Using Them In Your Cooking

Incredible Secrets of Mustard

Mustard Seed Market – Natural Foods Cookbook