Mustard oil is reddish-brown or amber in colour and is known for its strong smell and pungent sharp flavour. The pungency of mustard oil is due to the presence of allyl isothiocyanate. This fatty vegetable oil is obtained by pressing mustard seeds.

Mustard oil has about 60% monounsaturated fatty acids(MUFA)(42% erucic acid and 12% oleic acid); it has about 21% polyunsaturated fats(PUFA) (6% the omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid(ALA) and 15% omega-6 linoleic acid(LA)) and it has about 12% saturated fats.

Mustard oil reduces cholesterol and improves the membrane structure of red blood cells (RBC).