Although mustard has always been a favorite condiment and flavoring in American cooking, most American mustards have been characterized by their blandness, particularly when compared with their spicier cousins from France and England.
In recent years, as Americans’ palates have become more receptive and spicy flavors in general have gained favor, one type of mustard, Dijon, has become tremendously popular in the United States.
Dijon mustards differ from American and English versions. American mustards are generally distinguished by their color–a garish yellow created by the addition of turmeric–as well as their vinegary quality. English mustards are spicier than their American counterparts but traditionally have been dry. Although Dijon mustards are similar to English mustards in spiciness and similar to American mustards in that they are wet, they differ from both in flavor and texture.
Setting standards
The singular nature of Dijon mustard comes from its prescribed list of ingredients and its manufacture. Historically, making Dijon mustard began by soaking mustard seeds in an acidic mixture of water, vinegar and wine. The seeds were then ground in a “mustard quern,” a device consisting of two stones turned by hand. The resulting mixture was strained to remove the hulls and then mixed with more vinegar to form a smooth paste. After the addition of spices and salt, the mustard was aged for a short time and packed into barrels.
In 1390 the French government codified part of this process. For a mustard to bear the label “Dijon” it could contain only three ingredients–brown or black mustard seeds, vinegar and salt (wine was used only in the initial soaking process)–and it could not be aged for longer than 12 days between manufacture and sale.
In the 18th Century, verjuice, the juice from very sour, unripe grapes, was accepted as a replacement for vinegar. In 1937 a law was passed codifying the methods by which the various ingredients were to be mixed.
Dijon mustards made in France are still subject to these regulations. Three aspects of the prescribed method–the use of vinegar, the length of aging and the type of mustard seeds–continue to have a strong effect on the final product.
The heat of mustard seeds is dormant until the seeds are mixed with a liquid. In the manufacture of Dijon mustard, this chemical reaction is precipitated by the original soaking in vinegar and water. Vinegar, however, has a second effect: It cools the heat of the mustard even as it releases it. Therefore, when the strained, softened seeds are mixed with the second batch of vinegar, the longer the vinegar and mustard stand before bottling, the less heat there will be in the final product. It is for this reason that the regulations state that Dijon must be bottled within 12 days of manufacture. Most companies bottle their mustards after far less standing time to preserve the desired spiciness.
Dijon also is distinguished from other varieties of mustard by the type of seeds used. The mustard plant, in the same family as radishes and turnips, can produce three basic types of seed: white (also known as Sinapis alba), black (Brassica nigra) and brown (Brassica juncea). The color names refer only to the shells, or husks, of the seeds, as the insides of all three are a muddy yellow. Use of the black seed plant was abandoned because of its resistance to mechanized harvest.
English and American mustards are made with a combination of white and brown seeds, but Dijon mustard is made with brown alone, giving it a more intense, nasal heat.
We limited our tastings to mustards that mostly contain only the regulation list of ingredients–mustard seeds, vinegar, spices and salt–with the only allowable addition being white wine. We allowed white wine because many Dijon-style mustards manufactured outside of France contain it, and we wanted to sample more than just French mustards.
Even with these limited criteria, we had dozens of mustards from which to choose. We selected a cross section of the most popular and available American and imported brands, including mustards from very old, established French firms and new versions by American producers.
Two tastings were held, the first for a small group of food experts and the second for a group of 20 non-professional food lovers. In both tastings the participants tasted the mustards raw and were asked to rate them according to aroma; color; silkiness of texture; flavor; balance of acidity, spiciness, saltiness and sweetness; finish, which should pleasantly echo the original taste, and overall impression.
Both tastings produced remarkably similar results. Tasters in both groups were looking for a very spicy and very balanced, yet relatively simple mustard. Most tasters, believing that Dijon mustards should be quite hot, tended not to like mustards whose heat faded too rapidly. At the same time, tasters were very sensitive to the dominance of a single flavor–particularly too much vinegar, not enough mustard flavor, or too much of what was called a “musty,” “old” or “eggy” flavor. This “off” flavor is caused by aging in the bottle, for both light and the air in the head of the bottle cause mustard to age. Unfortunately, it is difficult to tell when a mustard has been manufactured; the “use by” dates on all mustards tasted were at least two years from the date of the tastings.
Tasting notes
Eleven mustards were tasted blind, just as they came from the bottle, in two separate tastings, and are listed in the order of preference based on the combined scores awarded by judges in the two tastings. Unless otherwise noted, all mustards in the list contain only the traditional ingredients of Dijon mustard, plus a preservative for shelf life.
The top mustards are available at most area supermarkets. The Mount Horeb Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb, Wis., 608-437-3986, also sells many mustards by mail.
Highly recommended
– Maille Dijon Originale (Segma-Maille, Longvic-les-Dijon, France), $2.29 for 7.5 ounces. Not quite as spicy as Bornier, Maille nevertheless scored very highly in our taste tests. Tasters enjoyed the “spicy nose” and “smooth” texture. The flavor of Maille was “well balanced” yet “active, with serial sensations in the mouth.”
– French’s Dijon Mustard (Reckitt & Colman Inc., Wayne, N.J.), $1.99 for 8 ounces. Most tasters found French’s to be “straightforward and a little hot.” Like the other two winners, French’s had a “spicy aroma,” “nutty brown color” and “smooth texture.” French’s had a “hot finish, with a slightly salty aftertaste.” Most tasters rated French’s highly and felt that although it was “not terribly distinctive,” it was nonetheless “very pleasant.” In addition to the traditional ingredients, this mustard contains white wine, but no preservatives.
Bornier Genuine Dijon Mustard (from Couchey, France) also was well-liked, but it is not distributed in the Midwest.
Recommended
– Edmond Fallot Moutarde de Dijon (Edmond Fallot, Beaune, France), $3.75 for 7 ounces. Tasters found Fallot to have a “good, fresh aroma” and a “bright, attractive color.” Fallot also had a good “balance of heat and flavor” and a “pleasant, consistent aftertaste.” Many tasters felt Fallot tasted “real” and “nailed a style of mustard well,” but that the “touch of flame” was not enough.
– Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard (Nabisco Foods, East Hanover, N.J.), $2.39 for 8 ounces. Tasters found that this mustard had “little aroma” and “more watery texture” but still “survived as good basic mustard.” Grey Poupon is a very vinegary mustard, and tasters said the “mustard flavor could be more aggressive.” Despite this, its “good general quality” and “familiarity” gained it several high votes. In addition to the traditional ingredients, this mustard contains white wine, but no preservatives.
– Amora Traditional Dijon Mustard (Amora, Dijon, France), $3.25 for 7 ounces. Amora is the best-selling mustard in France. Much like Grey Poupon, most tasters felt that Amora was “undistinguished” yet “pleasant and sort of toothsome,” with a “silky-smooth texture.” Amora rated a “clean mustard flavor” and a bit of “character” but was also deemed “a bit weak.” Amora was chosen “mostly for its lack of faults than for its vibrant character.”
