Dog mustard is a plant with bright yellow flowers that’s native to Asia and Europe. It’s also known as Cleome viscosa scientifically.
Dog mustard is also known as wild mustard or Jakhiya. The seeds are small, dark brown or black, and have a strong smell and crunchy taste.
Dog mustard is in the Brassicaceae (Mustard) family. It is an annual or biennial plant which has a long taproot.
The plant is native to Europe and Asia but is an introduced species in many other areas of the world, including much of Canada and the U.S.
It is a weedy plant with an erect upright habit or sometimes with ascending tops with bright yellow flowers.
Jakhiya is the seeds of the dog mustard or Cleome viscosa plant. These are used for tempering culinary dishes.
It is mostly grown and consumed in Uttarakhand and in the Terai regions of India and Nepal.
The seeds are dark brown in colour, and crackle on being heated in oil. It is used in the Garhwali and Kumaoni styles of cuisines.
It is used in the tempering of hara saags, vegetables, curries, and pulses. Jakhiya is one of those pungent herbs that give Garhwali food the taste of mountains.