Mustard

Mustard has been a popular condiment for thousands of years; the Romans used mustard to preserve vegetables in an early version of piccalilli, whilst the ancient Greeks and Egyptians used to crunch the hot, spicy seeds between their teeth during meals. In fact, it was the Romans who developed the prepared mustards we know today, by mixing unfermented grape juice, known as 'must', with ground seeds (called sinapis) to form mustum ardens, or 'burning must'. The familiar hot taste of mustard is released when the crushed seeds are mixed with a liquid.

The seeds used for mustard come from a number of different plants, including:

• Brassica nigra
  Black mustard - hot and spicy.
• Brassica juncea
  Brown (or Indian) mustard - less pungent than black seeds, and used in Indian dishes.
• Brassica hirta
  White (or yellow) mustard - the coolest of the three varieties, used to make mild mustards, used whole in pickling, or sprouted for mustard and cress sandwiches. This variety is also known as Sinapis alba.

The seeds are ground into powdered or dry mustard, which can then be used (along with the whole seeds) to make prepared mustard, mustard sauces and flavourings for food dishes. There is a huge range of different prepared mustards available, all with varying levels of intensity and sweetness, depending on the type of mustard seeds and the other ingredients used to produce them. Ingredients include vinegar, turmeric, white wine, honey and sugar, producing varieties such as Dijon mustard, Meaux mustard, Bordeaux mustard, honey mustard, spicy brown mustard, stone ground mustard, English mustard, and American ballpark mustard. Some of these mustards are very spicy, with a hot or sharp flavour, whilst others, such as honey mustard, have a mildly sweet and mildly sharp taste. You can find out more about the many different mustard varieties by selecting a link from the menu below.

Mustard is said to aid the digestion, and it is traditionally paired with cheese or pork dishes, which were thought to sit heavy on the stomach. Mustards may also be used to flavour a wide range of other dishes and are excellent for using as a marinade and seasoning, or for serving as a spicy dip for snacks. Although the different vaities of mustards may vary in strength, they can usually be substituted for each other in recipes if necessary; simply add a little at a time until you reach the required flavour and heat.

To enjoy all mustards at their best, they should be used fairly rapidly. Once opened, they should be stored in the fridge and consumed within 3-4 months.