How To Make the Best Chinese Hot Mustard (With Recipe Video) (2024)

This easy homemade Chinese hot mustard recipe uses only 3 ingredients. Once you try this mustard, you’ll never go back to the takeout packets!

My favorite local Chinese restaurant makes its own homemade hot mustard, and I’m always bummed when my husband forgets to get some when he picks up our takeout order!

Eggrolls just don’t taste the same without that pungent, sinus-clearing spicy condiment.

How To Make the Best Chinese Hot Mustard (With Recipe Video) (1)

Thankfully, it’s super easy to make Chinese hot mustard at home with only three ingredients. The homemade mustard will be even spicier and more flavorful than what you can get at a restaurant because it’s fresher.

Serve hot mustard with eggrolls, crispy wonton strips. these better-than-takeout Fried Pork Wontons or Crab Rangoons. I like to mix the hot mustard into this Wonton Dipping Sauce.

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It’s also good mixed with homemade Chinese sweet and sour sauce or with soy sauce and duck sauce for a sweet-spicy flavor combo. The sweet sauces help to cut the heat.

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Jump to:
  • What Does Chinese Hot Mustard Taste Like?
  • Ingredients for Chinese Hot Mustard
  • How to Make Hot Mustard
  • Variations
  • Storage
  • More Chinese Recipes
  • Easy Chinese Hot Mustard

What Does Chinese Hot Mustard Taste Like?

Chinese hot mustard has a very different flavor from prepared yellow mustard.

It has a spicy pungency that is similar to horseradish or wasabi. I find that the heat from Chinese hot mustard is more the sinus-clearing type than the burn-your-tongue type.

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Chinese spicy mustard is made from brown mustard seeds, which are hotter than the yellow or white mustard seeds used to make other types of mustard.

Want to see a brief overview of the process before diving into the recipe? Watch my web story on how to how to make hot Chinese mustard.

Ingredients for Chinese Hot Mustard

To make homemade restaurant-style hot mustard, you will need:

How To Make the Best Chinese Hot Mustard (With Recipe Video) (3)
  • Mustard powder — Choose a Chinese mustard powder or Colman’s Mustard Powder, which contains a mix of yellow and brown mustard seeds
  • Ice water – The temperature of the water is important. The icy cold water activates the enzyme myrosinase in the mustard seed. This enzyme gives Chinese mustard its characteristic heat.
  • Unseasoned rice vinegar – The vinegar gives the homemade mustard a touch of tanginess and helps mellow out the heat level. It also helps the mustard retain its spicy flavor in storage.

See recipe card for quantities and a recipe video.

You should be able to find Chinese mustard powder at local Asian markets, or you can buy it online. English mustard powder, made from brown and yellow mustard seeds, is a suitable alternative, although it may be slightly less spicy.

How to Make Hot Mustard

The recipe for Chinese hot mustard is very simple. I have included a how-to video in the recipe card at the end of this post so you can see the process.

  • Combine equal parts of dry mustard powder and ice water in a bowl.
  • Stir the mustard powder and water well to form a paste.
  • Next, add rice vinegar and stir well.
  • Cover and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes for the flavor to develop. For best result, serve Chinese hot mustard immediately.
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Variations

This simple recipe can be adapted to suit your heat tolerance and taste preferences.

  • Add more water for a thinner hot mustard.
  • Add more mustard powder for a hotter and thicker condiment.
  • To make the mustard spicier, omit the rice vinegar.
  • To mellow out the flavor and the spiciness of the mustard, add more rice vinegar.

Storage

Hot Chinese mustard is best served immediately. After the mustard powder is mixed with water, it will lose some of its flavor potency and heat over time. Adding vinegar will help slow and halt this process, though.

Store leftover hot mustard in an air tight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

More Chinese Recipes

If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy these other sauces and Chinese takeout recipes.

  • Homemade Chinese Takeout Appetizers
  • Cream Cheese Wontons
  • 100+ Wonton Wrapper Recipes
  • Wonton Dipping Sauce
  • Air Fryer Wontons

Pin This! Chinese Hot Mustard Recipe

How To Make the Best Chinese Hot Mustard (With Recipe Video) (5)

🎥 Recipe Card & Video

How To Make the Best Chinese Hot Mustard (With Recipe Video) (6)

Easy Chinese Hot Mustard

Authentic restaurant-style homemade Chinese hot mustard to serve on egg rolls, fried wontons, crab rangoons and crispy wontons.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Resting Time 15 minutes mins

Course condiments

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 2 servings

Calories 36 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons brown mustard powder
  • 2 Tablespoons ice water
  • ½ teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar

Instructions

  • Combine mustard powder and ice water in a bowl. Stir well to form a paste.

  • Add rice vinegar and stir well.

  • For a thinner consistency, add more water and stir. For a thicker consistency, add more mustard powder and stir.

  • Cover and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes for the flavor to develop.

  • For best result, serve Chinese hot mustard immediately.

Video

Notes

For best results use a ice cold water and a Chinese mustard powder or Colman’s English mustard powder.

Variations

    • Add more water for a thinner hot mustard.
    • Add more mustard powder for a hotter and thicker condiment.
    • To make the mustard spicier, omit the rice vinegar.
    • To mellow out the flavor and the spiciness of the mustard, add more rice vinegar.

Storage

Store leftover hot mustard in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. the mustard will lose some of its potenency as it ages, but adding vinegar can slow this process.

Nutrition

Calories: 36kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 52mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.5gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg

Keyword appetizer, Chinese, condiment, mustard, spicy

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How To Make the Best Chinese Hot Mustard (With Recipe Video) (2024)

FAQs

What makes Chinese hot mustard so hot? ›

No chili or hot sauce is added to Chinese hot mustard; that bite comes naturally with brown mustard seeds which are used to make this type. The kick is caused by the breakdown of two sulphur compounds called sinigrin and myrosin.

What are the ingredients in Chinese hot mustard packets? ›

Ingredients: water, mustard, seasoning (mustard, salt, sugar, xanthan gum, oleoresin turmeric, potassium sorbate, and sodium benzoate), and sugar.

What's the difference between yellow mustard and Chinese mustard? ›

However, there is one major difference: While English mustard uses a combination of mild yellow mustard seeds and hotter brown seeds, Chinese mustard uses the hotter, brown mustard seeds only.

What kind of mustard is in Chinese hot mustard? ›

Chinese hot mustard, which can be found as a powder in the spice aisle, or as a sauce in the condiment section, is made from brown mustard seeds.

What is the spice in hot mustard? ›

I won't pretend I can pronounce these words or understand the whole science behind it but here's the gist: Mustard has an enzyme called myrosinase which breaks down glucosinolates into isothiocyanates when combined with cold water, producing the characteristic heat of hot mustard.

What is another name for Chinese mustard? ›

Brassica juncea, commonly brown mustard, Chinese mustard, Indian mustard, leaf mustard, Oriental mustard and vegetable mustard, is a species of mustard plant.

What is the Chinese mustard called? ›

Also called Chinese hot mustard. a sharply spicy condiment, prepared from the ground seeds of the cruciferous plant Brassica juncea and commonly served with Chinese and other Asian foods. Botany. the plant B.

Is Chinese mustard good for you? ›

Good for maintaining blood pressure (risk of hypertension) ➠ Benefits from high content of water, calcium and potassium. Balance the level of blood acidity ➠ Benefits from high content of calcium. Minimizing anemia ➠ Benefits from high content of iron and riboflavin.

What is Japanese mustard made of? ›

Karashi is a yellow Japanese mustard made from crushed mustard seeds mixed with horseradish. Unlike most European varieties and standard Western yellow mustard which generally are diluted with other mix-ins like vinegar, karashi is much hotter.

Is ground mustard the same as Chinese mustard? ›

Hot Chinese mustard will make a spicy mustard, whereas a regular Ground Yellow Mustard will produce something a little bit more mellow.

Why is it called Chinese mustard? ›

Mustard has been used in Africa and China for thousands of years. Mustard greens have been popularly consumed in China. Yellow mustard paste originated in China during the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE) where the mustard seeds were ground and made into paste.

What does Chinese mustard have in it? ›

Chinese mustard is simple and uncomplicated to make with dry mustard, white pepper, and water.

Why is Chinese mustard so strong? ›

Chinese mustard begins with brown mustard seeds, just like many other mustards with a kick, including spicy brown and whole grain. According to Spruce Eats, the seeds are dried and then ground into a fine powder. The powder is then mixed with cold water — and this is key to getting that heat.

Is hot mustard good for you? ›

Yellow mustard, spicy mustard and dijon mustard all have very similar nutritional profiles. They are low in calories, sugar and fat, which makes them an excellent addition to a dish, especially if the goal is weight management.

How hot is Chinese hot mustard? ›

Chinese mustard is pungent, spicy and strong in taste, and it'll wake your taste buds up immediately with its horseradish-like heat. Like wasabi, it has sinus-clearing properties. Even a whiff will make your nostrils flare!

What makes Chinese food so spicy? ›

Taiwanese cuisine often features a wide range of chili peppers, from milder varieties like jalapenos to more intense ones like habaneros. The Sichuan province in China is known for its spicy flavorings such as chili oil and Sichuan pepper – both of which are used heavily in dishes like Kung Pao Chicken and Mapo Tofu.

How to make Chinese mustard less spicy? ›

Adding hot water will reduce the peppery flavor because it breaks down the enzymes. Vinegar and refrigeration will stabilize the mustard to some degree.

What is the hot spice in Chinese food? ›

Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum piperitum), usually known as huajiao 花椒 (flower pepper) in China today, serves as a good example to show the historical "piquant" flavor of Sichuan cuisine prior to the introduction of the hot pepper.

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