Why does mustard tend to irritate your nose, while other spicy food(s) don’t seem to be doing that so much?

Question

Why does mustard tend to irritate your nose, while other spicy food(s) don’t seem to be doing that so much?

In: 219

Answer 1

If you’re talking off the shelf yellow mustard, it’s because of the vinegar. The “vapors” from the vinegar irritate your nose. The higher priced/quality mustards use more actual mustard which have components that are similar to those in horseradish, or often actually contain horseradish, that “burns your nose from the inside”.