Very ickle, in the way of foodstuffs, are mustard seeds: tiny seeds outranked in popularity only by peppercorns. They were used as a medicinal plant by Pythagoras and Hippocrates, whilst the Romans ground the seeds with wine to produce a sauce not dissimilar to today's mustard. German lore advises a bride to sew mustard seeds into the hem of her   wedding dress to assure her dominance of the household, whilst in Denmark and India, it's thought that spreading mustard seeds around the exterior of the home will keep out evil spirits. The Danes also had an interesting "cure" for a woman's frigidity, involving a potion made of mustard seeds mixed with ginger and spearmint. The ancient Chinese also considered mustard an aphrodisiac. At the end of the day though, they're essential in any good cook's kitchen and taste lovely! NS²

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