I recently moved back to the US after living in France for nearly a decade. I bought some Maille Dijon mustard thinking it would taste the same...boy was I wrong. I was disgusted, it tasted nothing like what I had in France. Would the recipe change per country? I checked the label and it seems that it was fabricated here in the US, so perhaps that has something to do with it?
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.
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.).
Ironically and paradoxically, Dijon mustard can be found in neighboring countries, because non-French people don't eat as much of the stuff. In France the minute any inventory shows up anywhere it's immediately depleted, whereas in other countries it can remain on shelves for weeks.
Changing the allotment between France and other countries for exporting firms takes time, and so it does happen that more mustard is sent to countries that don't much care for it, while the French are deprived of it.
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
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.
Who cares about Dijon? It's about the mustard. In the supermarkets around here (Germany) it's hard to get Dijon mustard. In 100% of the time it's the Maille brand that can be seen in the header image of the BBC article. However it contains preservatives and I don't see why mustard needs to contain preservatives. By chance I discovered that Löwensenf is the same as Dijon mustard without preservatives, available everywhere and cheap.
Mustard snobs would point out that Maille doesn't deserve it's heritage mystique as they haven't used mustard seeds from their historical home of Burgundy for many years. They are all imported from Canada, probably coinciding with the purchase by Unilever(?).
Food protectionism is so dumb. It’s still champagne, bourbon, balsamic vinegar, bolognese, pecorino romano. You wouldn’t say it’s not a hamburger unless it’s from Hamburg. Or a Philly cheesesteak unless it’s made within city limits.
Yes, the specific taste can be specific to the region’s produce or historic process but that’s true of anything if you’re willing to mythologize it. You shouldn’t be able to claim it made where it isn’t but Dijon mustard meaning “mustard made in the style as popularized in the town of Dijon” is not something you get to claim geographic dominion over long long long after it’s been the genericized accepted term for the specific food. Dijon is a kind of Spicy Mustard but the implication doesn’t go backwards and there’s no other name for it.
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!!!"
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...
The only French mustard that has a legal certification (an "IGP", meaning "Certified Geographic Origin") is the "Moutarde de Bourgogne". It's made with wine while the Dijon mustard uses vinegar. And the latter (Dijon's recipe) imports most of the mustard seeds used in its mustard, while the "Moutarde de Bourgogne" has to use locally produced seeds.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moutarde_de_Bourgogne
By the way, mustard was a very important condiment in France for many centuries. But out of the 8 French idioms listed in a 150 years old dictionary, only one is still used nowadays.
https://www.littre.org/definition/moutarde
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