Mustard is a condiment made from the seeds of a mustard plant, which may be the white/yellow mustard (Sinapis alba), brown mustard (Brassica juncea), or black mustard (Rhamphospermum nigrum). The whole, ground, cracked, or bruised mustard seeds are mixed with water, vinegar, lemon juice, wine, or other liquids, salt, and often other flavourings and spices, to create a paste or sauce ranging in colour from bright yellow to dark brown. The seed itself has a strong, pungent, and somewhat bitter taste. The taste of mustard condiments ranges from sweet to spicy. Mustard is commonly paired with meats, vegetables, and cheeses, especially as a condiment for sandwiches, hamburgers, and hot dogs. It is also used as an ingredient in many dressings, glazes, sauces, soups, relishes, and marinades. As a paste or as individual seeds, mustard is used as a condiment in the cuisine of India and Bangladesh, the Mediterranean, northern and southeastern Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa, making it one of the most popular and widely used spices and condiments in the world.
Etymology The English word mustard derives from Anglo-Norman mustarde and Old French mostarde (Modern French: moutarde). This comes from Latin mustum ("must"), which was a condiment made by mixing grape must with ground mustard seeds to form a paste. Generally called Senf in German, mustard is also known in northern Germany by the similar word Mostrich. First attested in English in the late 13th century, 'mustard' was used as a surname a century earlier.
History Evidence of mustard in the archaeological record is scarce since species in the Brassicaceae family do not accumulate silica and therefore do not produce phytoliths. The earliest evidence of humans using mustard plants as food dates to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Jerf el Ahmar in Syria. Here ground mustard seeds identified as belonging to the genus Sinapis were part of a "seed cake" that has been dated to between 9224 and 8753 BC. Archaeological excavations in the Indus Valley have revealed that mustard was cultivated there. The Indus Valley Civilization existed until about 1850 BC. Mustard has been used in Africa and China for thousands of years. Mustard greens have been popularly consumed in China. Yellow mustard paste originated in China during the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC), when the mustard seeds were ground and made into paste. It was often used in the royal courts during the Zhou Dynasty to help whet the appetite for the later courses in a meal. The Romans mixed unfermented grape juice (the must) with ground mustard seeds (called sinapis) to make ‘burning must’, mustum ardens. A recipe for mustard appears in De re coquinaria, the anonymously compiled Roman cookery book from the late fourth or early fifth century: the recipe calls for a mixture of ground mustard, pepper, caraway, lovage, grilled coriander seeds, dill, celery, thyme, oregano, onion, honey, vinegar, fish sauce, and oil, and was intended as a glaze for spit-roasted boar. In the 10th century the monks of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris began their own production of mustard. The first appearance of mustard-makers on the royal registers in Paris was in 1292. Dijon, France, had become a recognized centre for mustard making by the 13th century. The popularity of mustard in Dijon is evidenced by written accounts of guests consuming 320 litres (70 imp gal) of mustard creme in a single sitting at a gala held by the Duke of Burgundy in 1336. In 1877 one of the most famous Dijon mustard makers, Grey-Poupon, was established as a partnership between Maurice Grey, a mustard-maker with a unique recipe containing white wine, and Auguste Poupon, his financial backer. Their success was aided by the introduction of the first automatic mustard-making machine. In 1937 Dijon mustard was granted an Appellation d'origine contrôlée. Owing to its long tradition of mustard making, Dijon is regarded as the mustard capital of France. The early use of mustard as a condiment in England is attested from the year 1390 in the book The Forme of Cury, which was written by King Richard II's master cooks. It was prepared in the form of mustard balls—coarse-ground mustard seed combined with flour and cinnamon, moistened, rolled into balls and dried—which were easily stored and combined with vinegar or wine to make mustard paste as needed. The town of Tewkesbury was well known for its high-quality mustard balls, originally made with ground mustard mixed with horseradish and dried for storage, which were then exported to London and other parts of the country, and are even mentioned in William Shakespeare's play King Henry the Fourth, Part II. The use of mustard as a hot dog condiment is said to have been first seen in the United States at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, when the bright-yellow French's mustard was introduced by the R.T. French Company.
Culinary uses
Mustard is most often used at the table as a condiment on cold and hot meats. It is also used as an ingredient in mayonnaise, vinaigrette, marinades, and barbecue sauce. It is also a popular accompaniment to hot dogs, pretzels, and bratwurst. In the Netherlands and Belgium, mustard is mainly used as a seasoning of croquettes, bitterballen, and cheese, and commonly used to make mustard soup, which includes mustard, cream, parsley, garlic, and pieces of salted bacon. Mustard as an emulsifier can stabilize a mixture of two or more immiscible liquids, such as oil and water. Added to Hollandaise sauce, mustard can inhibit curdling. Mustard can be added to dishes as a primary spice, which is popular in East Indian cuisine. Added to mixed vegetables or fish curries, it can impart a unique flavour to some of the Indian recipes.
Nutritional value As a condiment mustard averages about 5 kcal per teaspoon. Some of the many vitamins and nutrients found in mustard seeds are selenium and omega 3 fatty acid.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
