The mustard from Dijon: little histories about a condiment
And also
The tops
What’s this?
Smooth, spicy... the mustard from Dijon!
Originally, the mustard is a plant with yellow flowers.
Seeds are used for the production of the famous condiment.
The little history
People ate mustard since the Middle-Ages, in Burgundy: a 13th century manuscript mentioned it and edicts controlled its production.
A legend says pope John XXII created the office of "great mustard keeper" in the 14th century...
A pretty important office, because pope loved mustard and always wanted a jar in stock!
The modern mustard was created in the 18th century by Jean Naigeon, who wanted to make the finest mustard.
But in Paris, a man named Maille, put in charge of the mustard supply for Mrs. de Pompadour, became "king’s vinegar maker"... Nowadays, Maille is a famous French brand!
But where did the name "mustard" come from? We have two possibilities. The first one: moutarde comes from Latin mustum ardens, moult arde, which means "very spicy".
The second possibility: moutarde comes from Moult me tarde, which was duke of Burgundy Philip the Bold’s war shout, when he fought in Flanders in 1388.