Mondo Knows Facts
Mustard only becomes hot once it meets cold water
Enzymes in the crushed seed need water to produce pungent isothiocyanates
Whole mustard seeds are mild because the pungent compounds sit locked behind a chemical barrier. Crushing or grinding brings the enzyme myrosinase into contact with glucosinolates, and in the presence of cold water the reaction produces allyl isothiocyanate, the heat people taste. Hot water destroys the enzyme, which is why hot liquid makes a flatter mustard.
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Tags: mustard, spices, enzymes
Mustard only becomes hot once it meets cold water: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Enzymes in the crushed seed need water to produce pungent isothiocyanates. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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