On the other hand, if your reference for mustard intensity is American mustard, then Dijon will come as a shock.
Watching Europeans (incl. Brits) watch Americans put mustard on things is always fun. The eyes go wide, and there's a look of panicked disbelief as you can see them thinking "No, stop, too much!!!"
Dijon mustard is quite spicy though, but it's that "up to the nose" spiciness. Eastern European mustards are usually milder and what I had in north is more spicy in the traditional sense.
One thing that I find surprising in France, is how little variety there is in mustard in most supermarkets. Basically you have a choice of dijon mustard from 20 different brands that all taste the same and then some "old fashioned" ones.
As long as it is not English mustard, which is pure violence and no nuance to it.
French Dijon mustard is the safest bet. I quite like the American ones I can find in Britain because they're more mellow so a bit more versatile. Not sure about Indian mustard sauces, but they certainly use a lot of mustard seeds.
Mustard was my go-to condiment. I loved Dijon and stone grounds Dijon's. However, I lost my taste and smell in 2020 due to Covid-19. When my taste came back everything was fine but my smell didn't return for months. When it did, MANY things have an acrid taste to it. Dijon mustard, Pepsi, Coke, even Iceburg lettuce in different cuts (shredded is fine but in whole leaf I have issues) all taste the same and its so acrid that I can't touch the stuff any more.
Bog standard French's Yellow Mustard still rocks even if the taste is a little dulled due to my new smeller.
So the story is a bitter sweet for me... almost literally lol.
If I may ask, which non-French dijon mustard did you bring them? As a dijon-lover myself, I just wonder what the closest match, or an acceptable substitute, to French dijon would be (I'm in the U.S.).
You slather American mustard onto a hot dog; it's sweet and sour and may or may not contain any actual mustard flour. English mustard is a whole different beast with a sharp, hot flavour. French ("Dijon" in the USA) mustard is different again, and focuses on the mustardy flavour. German mustard is in between English and French styles and ideal for a good pork sausage.
Now, when there's a shortage of yer Dijon ketchup, that's when you're going to see Americans up in arms, with apologies to the BNL.
English mustard is great. I'd say export it to Europe, but no one will like it because they consider French (and some, German) mustards superior. It's the cheese and sausage situation all over again :D
What's worse, the French "Maille" variety of mustard is somewhat mild and boring even in France, and getting mustard that tastes like the 'Amora Fine & Forte' (available in almost every grocery store in France) anywhere in the US is damn near impossible.
> French's mustard is good, but not as versatile. I'd easily prefer a sandwich with Beaver over French's in most cases, but French's over any dijon for a hot dog.
I'll disagree: French's (and similar yellow mustards) are why for the first part of my life I thought that I hated mustard. Then I had Dijon mustard, which I'll eat on anything. Nasty neon yellow mustard just doesn't taste good on anything to me.
I take exception to having English mustard lumped in with U.S. mustard.
English mustard is in no way "milder and sweeter" than Dijon mustard - quite the opposite. I'd like to see the author eat a U.S. hot-dog (they're not particularly common in Britain) slathered in English mustard without their eyes watering.
I tend not to buy German brands. Not because they are bad or anything, but because their mustard was quite different (usually sweeter, less sharp, or less sour) every time I tried. They could be used as an ersatz in a pinch, but I’d rather have the stuff I am used to and which won’t mess with my usual recipes.
I know that there are some German mustards that are very close to Dijon, but on balance the risk is much lower going with a French brand.
I’d love to know how the Trader Joe’s Dijon mustard compares. It’s made in France, cheap/available, and I always thought it tasted better than Grey Poupon
So I've only been using the Maille brand Dijon mustard until recently, and while I did like the flavor profile, it was waaay to strong for me. So I decided to try some other brands, and well, the only thing Dijon mustards appear to have in common is mustard seeds, white wine and Dijon in the name.
I've had a few which were very mild, like Edmond Fallot, and one which was a bit stronger but still mild like Grey Poupon. Especially the Grey Poupon was perfect for this grilled ham I like to have in a sandwich.
Of course, now that I found a new favorite mustard, it's sold out due to the mentioned shortage on mustard seeds...
French, and worse, English mustard are far too violent, and it's not as pleasant a pain as a strong chili pepper.
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