Good ole yellow mustard - a reliable classic or out-dated?

[Paul Winalski]

One amusing factoid is that most of the Dijon mustard made in France is made from mustard seed that the French import from Canada.

I, too, am fond of Zatarain's Cajun mustard.

I do buy French's mustard, for one purpose only--to make Inner Beauty hot sauce.

-Paul W.

[Peter May]

Opposite of fancy is surely Colmans English Mustard.

Small tin of yellow powder, only ingredients "Mustard Flour"

Take couple tea spoons of mustard, mix with equal quantity of cold water about 10 minutes before needed for flavours to develop.

Its a mustard you know you're eating !!

[Robin Garr]

Opposite of fancy is surely Colmans English Mustard.

That's exported to the U.S. and is in wide use as an ingredient in recipes. Our version has an apostrophe in "Colman's", though. Perhaps that's modified for U.S. sales?

I always keep a can in the freezer (kept at 0F to deter the resurrection of micro-beasties in it). It's a fine ingredient in Indian dishes in particular, and yes, you can use it to make a condiment - cheap Chinese restaurants in the US used to do that, although nowadays they mostly offer it in factory-filled plastic tubes.

I can't say it would be my first, or even my 10th, choice as a table condiment, though. Not with the many superior American and French prepared mustards we've been discussing here.

[Paul Winalski]

Some English friends of mine always have a dab of Colman's mustard with roast beef, and I've become very fond of that. And it's excellent with deep-fried spring rolls.

-Paul W.

[Frank Deis]

I bought a tin of Colman's specifically to use in rubs for "prime rib" roasts. Evidently it does have the apostrophe, and it lacks the letter "e". If you mix it directly with water, I'd say (as Robin did) that what you have made is Chinese mustard! That is the stuff that, when you get too much on your egg roll and then take a big bite, puts you into a few minutes of agony...

[Howie Hart]

...If you mix it directly with water, I'd say (as Robin did) that what you have made is Chinese mustard! ...

I've always mixed it with beer, as my mother taught me.

[wnissen]

I also remember the Grey Poupon ad, and it had an impact on me. My family had mostly Midwestern tastes, so the only mustard we had was French's. Grey Poupon was, to my young teenaged palate, clearly better in both texture and flavor.

Now I jump between various brands of "fancy" mustard, lately the whole grain stuff from Trader Joe's. My absolute favorite is from a touristy place in the Mosel: http://www.senfmuehle.net/ The herbs used really make for a superior condiment. We brought back two pots and nursed them along as far as we could, using homeopathic quantities to make the precious supply last longer.

But I have to say, anything that doesn't come out of a dispenser counts as a fancy mustard. So basically yellow mustard and a couple other kinds you'll find at the ballpark are regular mustards, at least in my world.

[Lee Short]

POMMERY.

THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE.

[Shlomo R]

Another one I use when I'm in the mood is one I make in small quantities - mix Coleman's dry mustard powder with just enough beer to make it spreadable on a steamed hot dog.

Howie, I am going to have to try that - we keep a tin of Colman's powder in the house.

We keep several varieties on hand - Gulden's, sometimes some French's yellow, Colman's (prepared in small jars, in addition to the powder), Grey Poupon, we've tried some Boar's Head mustards (surprise, kosher certified), and my wife will buy honey mustard and other preparations. Gulden's, Grey Poupon, and Coleman's are the mainstays.

[GeoCWeyer]

Brown deli mustard and Dijon are my mustards of choice. My "old fashioned" yellow sat around for years so I threw it. About the only thing I used it for was in making "old fashioned" homemade BBQ sauce. Now I just sub one of the others.

[Rahsaan]

I was in an airport over the weekend and they had a squeeze tube of French's Mustard on the table so I tried some. Man it was worse than I remember!

[Jeff Grossman/NYC]

Yellow mustard never was any good, Rahsaan. The very least one can do is Gulden's Brown but, honestly, there are so many better condiments out there now....

[John F]

I like yellow mustard for what it is...a little tangy and sunny looking. Happy to have it on a hot dog or a sandwich. I prefer brown and deli. Mustard, ut if yellow is only open I am ok.

When I was a kid I used to eat potato chips with yellow mustard....was quite good actually!!

[Ian Sutton]

The village in which we live (Trowse) was the home of Colmans, who built the original village (barring a handful of older buildings) for its workers.

There's a Colmans shop in Norwich, which has lots of mustard/mustard products as well as prints of old adverts, plus other branded stuff.

[Frank Deis]

Ian, does the fact that you come from Trowse, mean I should think of you as a "Trowser"???

[Ian Sutton]

Frank
Yes, that's correct
regards
Ian

p.s. Technically I'm not from Trowse, nor even Norfolk, but I'm more than happy here now. It's said of Norfolk, that it takes a while for an outsider to be properly accepted into the community, but it's not all that long... just 2-3 generations

[Frank Deis]

It's said of Norfolk, that it takes a while for an outsider to be properly accepted into the community, but it's not all that long... just 2-3 generations

This sounds SO much like Vermont, where my wife is from. Just spending one lifetime there is not enough to make you a Vermonter...

[Paul Winalski]

Nor does being born there make you a Vermonter. There's an old New England saying about that: just because a cat crawls into the oven and has kittens, that doesn't make them muffins.

-Paul W.