Colman's Mustard jar. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
Problem
What's the difference between French and English mustard?
Answer
English mustard is stronger. That's a surprise isn't it? You would expect the French mustard to be stronger, the English mustard to be a poor watered down imitation. But no, that is not the case.
Who Hates Mustard?
If you hate mustard, think again. Don't only provide it for other people, members of your family, parents or grandparents, neighbours, friends, visitors, customers. You are missing out on the flavour enhancing properties of mustard.
If you are lucky, and visit England or an English restaurant, or even a hot dog stand, you may find that you are given a hot dog with a mean, small amount of mustard. This is good because it means you gradually learn you can tolerate a tiny amount of mustard and actually grow to like it.
Learning To Like Mustard
If you don't like mustard, you will be glad to know that the French mustard is less of a shock to your tongue and tastebuds. It enhances your perception of the flavour of your meat or food.
As a child I hated mustard. Growing up in England, we always had English mustard. As a child I was attracted by the colour. I took a large blob. I sucked it into my mouth. What a shock!
Years later I learned that French mustard was milder. I discovered from an aficionado that you don't use mustard liberally like a s a u c e. You can spread it thinly on the bread over hot dogs and sausage sandwiches and meats. Then it does not overwhelm. Like salt, a little is good, enough to add a piquant bite and enhance the flavour.
What a discovery. What a delight!
You would think that English mustard would be made in England and French mustard would be made in France. One day I looked at a mustard pot label and found that my assumption was wrong. I could only assume that a large mustard company had bought up in another country and expanded its big and successful business.
Mustard in England comes in little pots with yellow caps. It seems a shame to throw them away.
The Mustard Moral
The moral of the story is, too much mustard can be too much of a good thing. Many people take too much mustard and end up leaving lots not he plate. It is often said, quoting a mustard manufacturers, that th mustard makers make their money from the amount of mustard left on the plate!
To save money, and shopping trips, and persuade somebody new to mustard to like it, be sparing in the serving. It's not being mean, it's being sensible. You can add more later.
How long should you keep mustard? The back label of my English mustard pot tells me after opening to keep it in the fridge for up to 3 months. The label also reveals that what I think of as a family firm has been bought up by one of the big boys, Unilever.
Other mustards are made by own labels such as Marks and Spencer. Mustard and Dill sauce.
Saving Mustard Bottles
Americans are great at recycling. I subscribe to several recycling and craft sites. Every now and then I discover or re-discover a post showing what you can do with plastic caps from pots.
You can make traffic light signals for the house - showing that people are in or out. You can make a decorative patenred board for the wall of a restaurant or bathroom or kitchen or children's room or conservatory. You can used the tops embedded in a wipe clean table top for a conservatory or garden or sell it at a craft show as a novelty for sisters or pubs.
Bottle VaseI use a small mustard bottle for a miniature vase when I have cut a rose stem short so that the rose is too small for a large vase. A small mustard bottle makes a container for a huge rose flower head in the centre of a table when you don't have space for a large vase.
You would want to keep the label if you imagined that your pot would eventually be in a museum of items from this century.
If not, you can move the label.
Recycling Caps
You can put plastic caps into a recycling bin but it seems such a shame not to use those perfectly formed circles. What can they make? Table tops. Magnets. String and cap curtains.
I used to be shy about taking too much mustard in a restaurant. I did not want to waste it. I thought that a mustard pot is quite expensive if every customer takes a spoonful. Than I was in a gourmet restaurant and asked about the mustard. The waiter called the manger who told me that the restaurant made their own mustard.
Afterwards we diners discussed it. I asked, How to they do that? Do they grow their own mustard and cross in a window box and dry the mustard seeds and grind them up? Surely not!
My companion replied, "No. They probably buy mustard powder in bulk and mix it up themselves. That was it is fresh and doesn't dry up and go off and get congealed and contaminated by the customers' cutlery."
When you are in a gourmet restaurant you may be told that they make their own mustard.
Mustard Factory Tours
You can visit mustard factories and mustard factory shops in England and France.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g187109-d3376808-r233211898-
https://www.colmans.co.uk/our-history
La_Moutarderie_Fallot-Beaune_Cote_d_Or_Bourgogne_Franche_Comte.html
https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/plastic-bottle-caps/
Mustard Pots
You can buy mustard pots at the mustard museum shop in Norwich. Many department stores have sets of condiment contains, paper, slat and matching mustard pot in ceramic or silver. See and bid for a new or vintage sterling silver mustard pot with a hole in the side of the lid and a matching little silver spoon on ebay.
American Mustard Museum in Wisconsin
You can see many mustard pots and buy them on line from the Mustard Museum in Wisconsin, USA. If you are in the USA, the museum is free. Something different.
https://store.mustardmuseum.com/category/mustard-pots?display=list
Mustard day is August 5th, 2017!
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to posts.
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