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Mustard: Not Just Another Condiment

© Judy Thomas

Mustard is a word that, for many of us, draws up an image of backyard grilling, hamburgers, and hot dogs. The word as we know it comes from the Middle English, mustarde, which means "condiment." It, in turn, came from the Old French, mo(u)starde, which is from the Common Romance, mosto. Mosto derives directly from the Latin mustum, from which we get our English term "must" to indicate new wine, or the unfermented juice that is being processed for wine. Originally, the condiment we know as mustard was made by mixing grape juice with mustard powder. It is believed that mustard was first cultivated in India around 3000BC and came to Britain with the Romans. Although recipes for mustard paste appear as early as 42 AD, the use of mustard as a condiment was not widely practiced in either Greece or Rome. When it was used, however, diners crushed mustard seed on their plate and mixed it with wine or water to suit their taste. The Romans took the seed to Gaul and, by the ninth century, French monasteries were bringing in considerable income from mustard preparations. By the13th century, mustard was one of the items offered by Parisian sauce-hawkers, who walked the streets at dinner peddling their savory wares.

Where is this mustard powder obtained? Mustard powder is made from crushing the seed of the mustard plant, native to Eurasia. The tiny seeds, perhaps 250,000 per pound, are very pungent. On their own, they are bitter and biting. There are two main types of mustard seeds: the relatively mild white mustard seed and the extra-strong brown or oriental mustard seed. As a condiment, as we have seen, the seeds are crushed into a powder and mixed with liquids to form a paste. Today, powdered mustard seed is likely to be mixed with wine, vinegar, beer, or water and various spices, such as tumeric. The leaves of the mustard plant can also be used for food, similar to kale, turnip greens, or spinach. It has been said that there is no part of the mustard plant that cannot be utilized.

Many kinds of prepared mustards can be found on supermarket shelves today, but they all have the same basic ingredients. They range from prepared mild yellow mustard (the hot-dog favorite) to Dijon and Bordeaux mustards which derive their distinct flavors from the French wines they are made with. There are also hot mustards which are peppery and brown: English, Düsseldorf, German, and Bahamian. American horseradish-mustard is also particularly spicy.

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