What is Prepared Salad Mustard?
Mustard is one of the most widely used spices in the world today and is an integral spice in many countries' cuisines. It comes from the seeds of what was known as the senvy plant. The mustard seeds can be used whole or ground into powder. What is known as prepared mustard is simply whole or ground mustard seeds mixed with liquids to make a paste.
History
The use of whole and ground mustard seeds as both a spice and a medicine dates back to the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. The Romans were the first to experiment by mixing ground mustard seeds with other spices and liquids to create the first prepared mustard. In 1292, mustard made its debut on the French culinary scene, and in just a short time the city of Dijon became the leading mustard producer in the world.
Maurice Grey of the Grey-Poupon mustard company invented a machine in 1853 that automated the processing of mustard seeds. This invention enabled mustard, also known as "mustard cream," to be made quickly, in mass quantities and at a very low cost.
In 1904, R.T French introduced what he called "cream salad mustard," a prepared mustard with a bright yellow color and distinctive flavor, at the St. Louis World's Fair. From this point forward, mustard's popularity exploded as people discovered new ways to enjoy the condiment. According to the Encyclopedia of Spices, currently over 400 million pounds of mustard are consumed each year.
Although French's yellow mustard was the first to be referred to as "prepared salad mustard," the name actually has a much broader connotation that includes most prepared mustard available today.
Ingredients
Prepared mustard is created from mixing whole or crushed mustard seeds with some type of acidic liquid (usually vinegar) and adding additional spices or flavorings). The flavor and color of the mustard will also be impacted by the type of seed as well as the method used in preparation.
Dijon mustard gets its distinctive flavor by substituting the juice from unripe grapes for vinegar.
White mustard seeds impart a milder flavor to the finished product. Black or brown mustard seeds have a more pungent taste and produce the hottest mustards. Cooking mustard will tone down the bite of even the hottest mustards.
Types
Deli-style, whole-grain and stone-ground mustard is prepared using either whole or coarsely ground seeds.
Dijon mustard currently uses white or burgundy wine in lieu of vinegar, although some producers use various types of vinegar.
Yellow mustard is produced using white mustard seeds and gets it bright yellow color from the addition of turmeric.
Fruit or honey mustard is a blend of mustard and honey or crushed fruit.
Culinary Uses
In the United States today, mustard is most often used as a condiment on hotdogs, hamburgers and sandwiches. It pairs well with both red meat and poultry, although poultry lends itself to honey mustard while red meat does better with Dijon or deli-style mustard. Mustard is also a good companion to sharp cheese both as a condiment or included into a cheese-based dish such as macaroni and cheese.
Mustard is a popular ingredient in salads either incorporated directly, as in many potato salad recipes, or emulsified with vinegar, oil and other spices to create a salad dressing.
Mustard lends itself well to cooked sauces, marinades and other hot dishes as the cooking process reduces its pungency, and it is a key ingredient in many of the barbecue sauces available today.
Warnings
Mustard allergies were thought to be a very rare condition until 2005 when a comprehensive research study was carried out in Spain. Symptoms can be mild or can cause severe anaphylaxis. Many countries have now adopted strict food labeling laws that require the producer to list the presence of any mustard product.
Tags: mustard seeds, prepared mustard, ground mustard, ground mustard seeds, whole ground, available today