Mustard

Everybody knows the spread like or semi liquid mustard in jars or tubes, which is very popular addition to go with certain meat dishes, especially with ham and oven roast pork or beef dishes. But what is mustard as we know it really made of?

In the generic mustard recipe, only a small number of ingredients is included: mustard seeds, vinegar and sugar. The mustard recipes vary in the proportion of these basic ingredients as well as a number of additional substances, which make for an accomplished gourmet experience. This includes sugar, stabilisers, herbs and spices, salt and colourants, if desired.

Image via Wikipedia

Sharpness and taste largely varies in dependence of which mustard seeds are used as a basis: there are yellow, brown and black mustard seeds. They are the seeds of mustard plants belonging to the Brassica and Sinapa plant families, and apart from the actual seeds, oil can also be gained from the oily seed pods of mustard plants (for instance for bio Diesel production). 

Image via Wikipedia

The discovery of mustard seeds and their use as spices goes back to India. The earliest indication can be found in the book of Buddha from the 5. century before Christ. The French then used mustard from approximately 800 A.D., before the Spanish conquerors brought to most other parts of the world, and it became a wide spread spice.

Image via Wikipedia

Different types of mustard used today are smooth and spicy varieties like e.g. the hot English mustard made by Colman’s, the French Dijon mustard or types of wholegrain mustard, in which as the name suggest whole mustard seeds are contained. In all of the smooth varieties the mustard seeds are ground and then thoroughly mixed with the other ingredients.

Image via Colman’s Hot English Mustard.

While some mustard tickles your taste buds gently, you’ll have to be extremely careful with above pictured variety. It is so hot that it literally blows off the top of your head, if you use a little bit too much. Enjoy mustard responsibly.

If you speak German, you might be interested in my blog: “Mostrich drauf“