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Indian cuisine is hugely popular all over the world – and for those who want authentic Indian food, the ingredients need to be authentic too. Almost every supermarket in Europe, the USA and other countries has an Indian section stocked with spices, condiments, herbs and, of course, Mustard Oil.
However, many Indian food lovers and chefs in America are surprised to find that the Mustard Oil bottles are marked “For External Use Only”. That’s because the Food and Drug Administration of the US Government has banned the use of Mustard Oil as a foodstuff. This naturally raises some concerns (among Americans) as to its safety and suitability for health and nutrition.
There is no need for any confusion. Any perception of Mustard Oil being unsafe or unhealthy is a myth – and do you know who supports this strongly? American scientists! Yes, the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, says that there is absolutely no evidence of mustard oil being harmful for human beings.
In the past decade or so, a lot of scientific and medical research has shown that Mustard Oil has some truly unique health benefits, especially for the heart and other cardiovascular organs. This has altered the opinions of many Americans with regard to Mustard Oil.
When Indian chef Manish Tyagi travelled to the US and started working in San Francisco he was delighted to discover that authentic Indian Mustard Oil was easily available in the Bay Area. And many of his new American friends told him that they loved Indian food, especially the flavour and aroma of Indian Mustard Oil; and they had no apprehensions whatsoever about its safety.
So that’s another American myth that stands busted!
