Please thank fine art daily for letting me know there was such a day designed especially for mustard and mustard lovers.
When I think of mustard and how I enjoy it, Dutch Mustard soup comes to my mind – a creamy soup flavoured with dollops of peppery wholegrain mustard from the north of Holland, tamed somewhat by creme fraiche. In fact, my first ever blog post on KB featured this very soup.
National Mustard Day is an annual event held on the first Saturday in August. It was created by the National Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. Since I can’t head over to the US today, I’m celebrating and opening ‘aged’ jars of mustard, purchased in Paris and in my possession since 2009.
One I got for the bucket it came in;
And the other caught my fancy with its fruity flavours.
Before then, all I knew of was plain ole mustard but apparently, that’s old school.
An article in the Independent by Geraldene Holt, titled ‘Food & Drink: Why we’re so keen on flavoured mustards’, dissects the elements of the condiment, from historical times in France to modern day Britain. She goes on to enlighten us, me, you about the variations in mustard flavours, all dependent on the kind of mustard seed employed in the making. She even lets us know that we can make our own mustard, simply by softening the seed in vinegar or water for 24 hours, then mixing to a paste in a food processor with herbs or spices. Fancy that.
In Nigeria, we don’t have mustard as an obligatory item on the dinner table, but everywhere else I’ve lived, it shows up. In the UK – Colman’s trademark yellow jars were ever present, smeared on sarnies with cold cuts and soft bread, bringing alive even the dullest ‘layered stories’ of bread. In the Netherlands, we’ve enjoyed laden spoonfuls in the autumn, when days are cold and nights are freezing, and the Dutch embrace stampot’, a ‘hodgepodge of potatoes, meat and leafy veggies like kale. The combination of dinner ingredients is simmered till soft, roughly mashed and perfection is when a wooden spoon can stand at attention with neither slop nor slip. Mustard breathes fire into the comfort of this dish, lacing it with warmth and spice.
Whatever you do today, enjoy your the National Mustard Day which you are celebrating, right???????
Share your mustard tips and recipes please.
Have a great weekend.[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Happy National Mustard Day – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]
Gorgeous spicy post … I want to make some mustard now! Happy belated MD Oz!
[…] Happy National Mustard Day « » Cooking with fruit: Blackberries August 11th, 2010 […]
Oh, what a marvelous day to celebrate, Ozoz!! 🙂 I adore good mustard – love it on kielbasa, on dark rye bread sandwiches, and mixed with butter, garlic and green onions over steaming hot brussels sprouts. 🙂
I didn’t know about it! thank you for sharing 🙂 I love mustard, espacially Dijon Mustard with grains
Absolutley stunning photography and composition. I’d love to know what kind of camera you are using.
Mustard is wonderful in all forms! Seems like I missed National Mustard Day, but I’ll leave you with this bit of information. Did you know that Coleman’s has a mustard museum? It’s located in Norwich, UK and is definitly worth a visit if you are ever up that way. I used to live about 45 minutes south of Norwich so I would visit at least once a year. I am sure you would enjoy it also.
I would love to go to Colemans and if I’m in the Norwich region on my next UK trip, I’ll stop by. Thanks
Happy Mustard DAy Oz. I’d never really used mustard either when living in Malaysia, but once I moved to Australia, I’ve never been without 🙂 WOuld be interesting to try to make my own.
Happy MD shaz, I think it would be interesting to make your own….and I’m thinking of what to add to mine right now!
I’m crazy about mustard, I’d be lost without it!
:-)!
Oh damn! I remember reading about mustard day last year and was sad that I missed it and am sure I probably swore to do something mustardy for it next (this) year. Seems I missed it again so I’ll just wish you a happy belated mustard day and console myself with a non-mustardy cupcake 😉
Rebecca, yep, it is good for you! I should use more of it.
Yes, Anna…I only found out myself
Othelia Cassidy, aaw, maybe next year? If I ever get to the US…and to Wisconsin, I’ll have to find the trolls
Bake in Paris, there’s nothing like foodies coming together to celebrate an event they didn’t even know about the night before!
Oh Conor, I’ve reminded myself of so many things and forgotten too!!!!! Oh, the sound of a cupcake!
Happy National Mustard Day to you too! Even though we don’t have such celebration here, but I do feel the vibes of such excitement of all mustard lovers 🙂
Sawadee from bangkok,
Kris
I live so close to Mt. Horeb, but have never been to mustard day. The trolls along the road (Trollway) are a riot if you ever get there. My fave Wisconsin mustard at the moment is Hawkwind Heat. A nice and spicy mustard. Would love to try a fruit mustard sometime!
Haha, there is a day for celebrating everything!
I didn’t discover mustard until I was in my late teens but, oh, how it brings out the flavour of some things! Now, I never make my potato salad without it and I adore wholegrain mustard with lamb.
Wow! There’s a mustard day. Excellent 🙂
fun post I don’t use mustard enough but it is good LOL to ya
National Mustard Day? Fantastic.. 🙂
Mustard soup sounds intriguing!
OysterCulture, I am planning a year of France…next year, in bits (obviously!), so I’ll put Dijon on the list
Jean Sanders, it should be called International MD. I might contact the museum and see if they want to sponsor an event next year 🙂
Norma, thanks. Looking forward to making your smashed potatoes.
Celia, the mustard soup is lovely. I generally use it as soup, sauce and bake!
Well there is a day for everything and why not mustard. Being that I live in New York City, I will have a good ol’ American hot dog with lots of Gulden’s mustard. LOL
Thanks for this post.
I suppose we should re-title it International Mustard Day! I I will be enjoying a smooth French mustard with dinner tonight – Maille Dijon Originale – which claims on its label to be “France’s Favorite Mustard”. Oui!
I saw that mustard day event too, and broke out my Dijon mustard in honor of the event. Closer to you is Dijon France and well worth the trip. Mustard stores about and the varieties are inspirational. I’ve made sever of my own versions after seeing what they had, one of which was mustard mixed with harissa. Yummy!
I have my treasure bucket too, although now it stores my supply of mustard seed – it seems appropriate.
Alright! You don’t know how many jars of mustard I have! Now I have a great reason to open a few more! I have some cherry mustard from northern Michigan, some cranberry mustard that I love on some sliced turkey, Munster cheese all rolled up, sliced and served as appetisers. It’s spicy and sweet and yummy! Along with stadium, spicy, Coleman’s, Chinese, Raye’s, wasabi and many more…you thought I was kidding right? 😀
That Dutch embraced stampot’sounds so good even though it’s really hot here now. Of course it could be the eloquent way you describe things.
Angie, I didn’t know about it either
:-), thanks Lyndsey. As soon as the golden leaves of
autumn fall, I’ll post a recipe.
Really? Mustard Day…so interesting! Didn’t know about it.