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MUSTARD: TRULY AN INTERNATIONAL CONDIMENT RARELY FOUND BY ITSELF THESE DAYS"A touch of these mustards
brings out the flavor of Gruyère
cheese, seasons a salad, gives a lift to white sauces, and gives style to a
ragout. The hors d'oeuvre is the first dish to feel their good effect, which
only ceases with the dessert."
Historically, mustard dates back to the 14th century, the oldest condiment known. Made from crushed mustard seed, it is mixed with liquid, and these vary from water to beer or a broth. The Chinese used mustard for several thousand years, and Europeans commenced a little later. Mustard seeds were found in the tombs of ancient Egyptian pharaohs. In the mid 1600’s England, Glocestershire became famous for its thick horseradish mustard, and it became the rage ingredient in English cooking. Shakespeare was known as a mustard lover. The true English pioneer with mustard, the greatest name in it, was Jeremiah Colman. In 1804 he began making his mustard in Norwich. He was a brilliant marketer, and Colman’s mustard became England’s landmark mustard. Close to his time, a J. W. Raye came up with a mustard sauce for canned sardines. The two men kept to their separate, specialized mustard businesses. In France, the use of mustard dates back to 1336, probably first concocted by early monks. To this day, French law requires only brown seed be used in the preparation of France’s Dijon mustard. It is a pale grayish yellow in color, because the husk of the dark mustard is removed before crushing the seeds. Many hold Dijon to be the world’s finest. North Americans used very little mustard until the beginning of the 20th century. Francis French, a New York spice merchant, came up with his milder mustard which was bright yellow. It quickly caught on as French’s “Cream Salad Mustard.” Hot mustard dipping sauces are a popular condiment served with Chinese and Japanese appetizers. They usually make it by mixing dry mustard powder with water, causing a chemical reaction that produces a sharp, hot taste. Some recipes call for the addition of sesame oil and some rice vinegar. They may add a small amount of sugar and some soy sauce, too. The mustard family is large and extends to cabbage, broccoli and turnips. The mustard seeds grow on bushes four to five feet tall and produce large sprays of bright yellow flowers. There are three types -- black, white or yellow and brown: Mild – yellow or white, Sinapis alba; Moderate -- Brown, Brassica juncea, sometimes called Asian, used in Chinese cooking; and Sharp: Black B. Nigra. These are the hottest. Cultivated mustard greens grow from a different seed than seeds for making mustard. Mustard powder has medicinal qualities. It is strong and must be used with care. Its heat is harnessed to make mustard plaster, which lends heat, and its fumes break up chest congestion and clear nasal stuffiness. Its heat-to-the-touch, like capazcin, is helpful with arthritis, rheumatism, toothache, general soreness and stiffness. Mustard also stimulates the stomach’s mucous membrane and improves digestion. It is also a vomiting inducer. Making condiment mustard is simple. Crush or grind seeds, add liquid and any other desired flavorings. Some prefer to simmer the mixture before cooling and putting into jars. Avoid contact with aluminum surfaces. You can buy mustard three distinct forms, and the uses for each are different:
Here’s some tips on when to use mustards to enhance recipes:
Knowing this, little surprise there are some mustard shrines out there. “We are the world’s Mustard Experts,” they claim. “Home of the “Poupon U.” The Mount Horeb Mustard Museum, Mount Horeb, Wisconsin houses the largest collection of prepared mustards in the world – more than 4,100. The condiment’s history include “correct” mustard pots, mustard spoons and vintage advertisements. National Mustard Day is the first Saturday in August. Here’s some sites of interest:s The Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. (http://mustardmuseum.com/.) Also visit the Plochman Mustard Timeline. (http://www.plochman.com/history.htm) © Marty Martindale, 2006, Largo FL, CONTACT FOOD SITE OF THE DAY |
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TM
Modern-day
mustards frequently piggy-back with interesting companions. They can tuck along
the savories of sun-dried tomatoes olives and French violets, or the pungencies
of garlic, horseradish, Roquefort or creole seasonings. Sometimes mustards take
up with the fire of wasabi, jalapenos, habaneros, Africa’s Harissa or chipotles.
Subtle fruits like currants, key limes and raspberries tag along as well, not to
forget the intoxicating Tequilas, Cognacs, Irish Whiskies. Then, there’s the
good company of exotics like truffles, chocolate and macademia nuts to be found
in mustard these days. And this doesn’t even touch on the nuances of the Ball
Parks and Mucky Ducks of the mustard world. North Americans, it seems, crave
mustard more than any spice except black pepper. The U.S. markets 1600 different
mustard varieties.