Mustard oil

Because of the supposed toxicity of erucic acid that is found in mustard oil, it has become a controversial ingredient for cooking in the United States, and tends to be sold in its purest form and labeled “for external use only.” But since erucic acid is also found in canola oil (just in smaller doses), and mustard oil has been used in Indian cooking for centuries without any detrimental effects, I still use it. There are some recipes where I like and crave the distinct, sharp taste of this oil. I am comfortable with using pure mustard oil, and in fact, I grew up eating food cooked in it. If you are troubled by the labeling, however, there are mustard oil blends (like the one made by SWAD) that offer most of the flavor of pure mustard oil.