D Is For Dijon Mustard

D is for Dijon mustard

Almost all mustards are created from the same basic ingredients: mustard seeds, vinegar, water, salt and sometimes lemon juice. With that being said, not all mustards are created equal. Dijon mustard has earned its place in the hearts of mustard lovers everywhere; you don’t have to be a mustard snob to appreciate its zesty flavor. What sets Dijon apart from the rest of the condiment isle, is the use of brown mustard seeds and “wine verjuice” that is used in the place of vinegar. In current years, the verjuice has been replaced with white wine.

Originally, any product called Dijon mustard was only allowed to be made in Dijon France. This stipulation forced many copy cat recipes into being called “Dijon-style mustard”. Since its creation, ironically, most Dijon mustards are manufactured outside of the famous French city. The sharp taste and grainy texture of this yellow paste has become wildly popular across Europe and The United States, and the term “Dijon” is now just a generic term used for this type of mustard. Since becoming a mustard user, I think I prefer the zesty bite of Dijon. I feel like American style mustard, or just yellow mustard, is too… sour. There isn’t enough depth in the flavor for me, and the color is a bit off putting. The color of American mustard is just so bright, it seems largely artificial to me.

As I was writing this blog post, I made my first ever batch of coleslaw. I love coleslaw, like mild obsession must have it kind of obsession; I get it whenever I go out to restaurants. Now that I think about, I’m not sure why I haven’t made it before… Either way, this batch I just made is like coleslaw crack!  I kid you not, it turned out to be the best coleslaw I have ever had. You might be wondering, “why are you telling me all of this, this post is suppose to be about Dijon mustard…”, but it turns out, the main ingredient is Dijon mustard! Funny how things work out some times, you can find the RECIPE HERE if you are interested.

Growing up, I hated mustard. Looking back, I’m not even sure that I gave mustard a fighting chance; I was just a tried and true ketchup guy. Over the past three years, I have started loosening my grudge on this yellow condiment. I first started using honey mustard on my cold cut sandwiches, and before I knew it… I was putting mustard on my hot dogs, and even burgers (and now coleslaw)! This slight change in taste buds happened so subtly, I wasn’t even aware of it. Someday, I plan on trying to make my own mustard recipe, but Dijon mustard will have to work in the mean time.

My next letter will be about a species of night shade, which has to be one of my favorite purple produce. Drop by tomorrow to find out more about this freaky fruit!

Till next time,

~Mr.McLovin