Mustard
Mustard refers to several plants in the genus Brassica, which also includes cabbages and turnips, and also it refers to the proverbially tiny mustard seed, used as a spice. Mild white mustard (Brassica alba) grows wild in North Africa, the Middle East and Mediterranean Europe and has spread farther by long cultivation; brown mustard (B. juncea), originally from the foothills of the Himalaya, is grown commercially in the UK, Canada and the US; black mustard (B. nigra) in Argentina, Chile, the U.S. and some European countries. Canada grows 90% of all the mustard seed for the international market.
Prepared mustard is a thick condiment, a yellow or yellow-brown paste with a sharp taste that is prepared from the ground mustard seed. A strong mustard can cause the eyes to water, burn the palate and inflame the nasal passages. As such, mustard is an acquired taste.
The Romans most likely developed the prepared mustards we know today. They mixed unfermented grape juice, known as "must" with ground seeds (called sinapis) to form mustum ardens, or "burning must".
The powerful "bite" of mustard seeds, which evolved as a deterrent to seed-eating rodents and birds, made mustard one of the first spices known to man. Mustard seed is found in Egyptian tombs. Mustard seed was already proverbially small in the Upanishads (Chandogya 3.14.2-3) and was so common in India that when a woman whose child had died came to the Buddha and asked that he return the child to life, the Buddha asked her to go out into the community and bring back to him a single mustard seed taken from a house where no person had died. Jesus' parable of the mustard seed was reported by Matthew (13:31-32), Mark (4:30-32) and Luke (13:18-19).
There are many varieties of mustard, which vary in strength and flavour. Places known for their mustard include Dijon (strong) and Meaux in France, and Norwich in the UK. There are variations in the subsidiary spices and in the preparation of the mustard seeds. The husks may be ground with the seeds, or winnowed away after the initial crushing; "whole-grain mustard" retains some unground mustard seeds. Sometimes prepared mustard is simmered to moderate its bite, sometimes it is aged.
"Dijon" mustard is not covered by a Designation of Origin (PDO) or a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) under the auspices of the European Union. Dijon mustard is simply a method of preparing ground mustard seeds, using Brown mustard. Nor does "Dijon mustard" have an origin in medieval monasteries: In 1856, Jean Naigeon of Dijon substituted verjuice, the acidic "green" juice of not-quite-ripe grapes, for the older vinegar. Mustards are often prepared with some subsidiary spices like cloves, but in the past adulterants were so commonplace that in 1658 French law proscribed all mustard-making for sale except from certified makers.
Mustard is most often used as a condiment on meat, especially cold meats such as ham; the French like strong Dijon mustard with steak. It is also used as an ingredient in mayonnaise and vinaigrette, in marinades and barbecue.
Popular brands of mustard are Plochman's (since 1852) and French's (Robert Timothy French, 1880) in the United States; Amora and Maille (since 1747) in France; and Colman's (Jeremiah Colman, 1804) in the UK.
Mustard was not popular in American cooking until mild "mustard sauce" using white (actually yellow) mustard seeds, with some additional turmeric for bright yellow coloring, was made commercially available. "Honey Dijon" appeals in the US to satisfy a national taste for sweetness in unexpected sources. In the USA, very mild prepared mustard is often used as a condiment in combination with ketchup.
See also
- mustard gas
- Multi Unit Space Transport And Recovery Device
- Colonel Mustard, in the boxed game "Cluedo"
External links
