The Spread of Mustard

Welcome to Becoming Sage, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary! My name is Elan Baumgarten. This episode’s topic is a special request from a listener! People use condiments everyday. A little extra kick to the food that people eat, and in the case of certain foods, condiments are practically necessary! One of the world’s oldest condiments can be traced back to ancient times. That’s mustard! Archeological evidence dates the use of mustard seeds back to 3000 BCE. The Ancient Greeks and Romans used mustard not only for its delicious contribution to food, but also for its health benefits. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, and a classical Greek physician, used mustard in poultices for muscle aches and soreness. The Romans were the first to acknowledge mustard for its contribution to our taste buds. They would grind the seeds into a paste. When vinegar and wine were added to the paste, it even resembled today’s condiment. Apicius (Uh-pike-e-uhs), a famous Roman elite who lived under Emperor Tiberius, published a book which has a title that translates to The Art of Cooking. In his recipes mustard can often be found. We will go on to the medieval times next, but first we would like to remind you to download this episode, to listen in from anywhere in the world, and follow us to hear the ordinary become extraordinary everytime we release a new episode! So, what was going on with mustard during the medieval ages? Well first off, mustard wasn’t just a condiment. In fact, it was practically a currency. Mustard seeds had incredible value for what they are - a seed -. They were also symbols of faith, even having some biblical references in Christianity. Monasteries actually became centers for the mustard growing operation in Europe. Dijon, a city in Burgundy, France, was a true hub of mustard production. This is where the French mustard, Dijon, comes from. In the 17th Century four centuries after they became the hub of European mustard, the city of Dijon was actually granted exclusive rights to produce all of France’s mustard. As mustard made its way through Europe, different cultures from different countries started to form their own connections with mustard, and many of the major countries would have certain cities become true mustard hubs, such as Norwich, England. Now here is where it gets truly very interesting. The different types of mustard. Sweet mustard for instance, is a very popular condiment in Bavaria, or Honey mustard which combines honey and mustard. The mustard that you are probably most familiar with though, is American Yellow Mustard. Receiving both its name and hue from the high concentration of turmeric, American Yellow Mustard was introduced to the world in 1904 by George French. This special variation of mustard also contains more vinegar, and has a much milder flavor. Despite the rich and long history of mustard, only 14% of Americans actually like it! Questions about why this is have been posed, and some believe that it is actually due to a mustard price increase because of lower mustard seed yields in the mustard farms. France is still the world’s largest consumer of mustard. They average 2.2 pounds of mustard per person in a year. Thank you for listening to Becoming Sage. My name is Elan Baumgarten. Don’t forget to tell your friends and family about Becoming Sage, where they can listen to the ordinary become extraordinary!