Glossary of food terms: M
Mustard
A condiment made from the seeds of the mustard plant, of which there are three varieties: black mustard (spicy and piquant), brown mustard (less piquant), and white or yellow mustard (much less piquant but more pungent).
The familiar hot taste of mustard is released when the crushed seeds are mixed with a liquid. The crushed seeds are usually steeped in water, wine, vinegar and must (the unfermented juice of grapes) before being mashed to a paste with various flavourings.
Different blends of mustard include English, American and French varieties. Available in jars, tubes and cans, they keep indefinitely. English mustards are stronger in flavour than most, and are based on a blend of brown and white seeds, flour and turmeric for colour.
The hot, pungent flavour is excellent with cold meats, steak, roast beef, gammon or sizzling sausages. The uses of mustard are so various that it's worth keeping a few different types in the cupboard. French mustards such as the creamy, slightly hot Dijon; Meaux, which is made from mixed mustard seeds; and the thick, dark brown Bordeaux, best known as French mustard, together with English mustard, are widely used as condiments but can be used to add piquancy to sauces, dressings or marinades.
Simply stirring a spoonful of mustard into mayonnaise or crème fraîche transforms it into a tasty sauce to accompany almost anything!
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