Mustards

Mustard is a paste of ground mustard seed and a liquid such as vinegar, wine or water, and its heat comes from a reaction that starts the moment wet seed is crushed.

How to choose Mustards

  • Seed type. Yellow mustard, from the white mustard plant, gives the mildest mustards. Reddish brown seed is spicier and goes into Dijon and similar European styles.
  • Smooth or whole grain. Smooth mustard is sieved to remove the seed coats, and Burgundy's protected recipe allows less than 2 percent hull in the paste. Whole grain, or à l'ancienne, keeps the seed coarsely crushed.
  • The liquid. Vinegar, water or white wine thins the ground seed. In Moutarde de Bourgogne, wine must make up at least 15 percent of the liquid, or 25 in the sieved style.

About Mustards

Mustards are condiments made by grinding mustard seed and wetting it so its heat can develop. When crushed seed meets water, an enzyme called myrosinase frees sharp compounds called isothiocyanates. Brown and black seed make allyl isothiocyanate, the vapor that rises into the nose, while yellow seed makes a milder one.

Burgundy's taste for mustard is old. Dijon sat on a Roman spice route, and when that trade was cut off, local cooks seasoned with crushed mustard seed stirred into an acidic liquid instead. The region's protected recipe still forbids heating the seed at any stage.

Unopened jars keep one to two years in the cupboard. An open jar lasts six to eight months, and refrigeration is optional. Stir it if liquid separates on top.

At a glance

Made from
Ground mustard seed with vinegar, wine or water
Main types
Yellow, Dijon, whole grain, flavored
Unopened
One to two years in the cupboard
Once opened
Six to eight months

Mustards questions

Is Dijon made in Dijon?

Not necessarily. Dijon names a method and a smooth, sharp style, and the name has no legal protection, so it can be made anywhere. Saskatchewan farmers are the largest mustard exporters in the world, and much of their brown seed is shipped to Europe for condiments such as Dijon. The protected French name is Moutarde de Bourgogne, which requires seed grown in Burgundy.

Why does freshly made mustard taste harsh?

Freshly ground mustard is hotter and more bitter than a store jar. A rest of two or three days in the refrigerator makes it milder and creamier. The liquid matters too: very hot water switches off the enzyme that builds heat, cold water lets the heat develop slowly, and adding vinegar locks the strength at that point.

What is oriental mustard seed?

It is a yellow-seeded form of Brassica juncea, the same species as brown mustard, so it brings more heat than the yellow seed used for ballpark mustard. Canadian growers ship most of it to Asian countries. There it goes into spicy condiments and is pressed into a sharp cooking oil, a use that has not caught on in North America.

Sources: INAO specification for Moutarde de Bourgogne; Government of Saskatchewan; Kansas State University Research and Extension.

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