National Mustard Day is celebrated on the first Saturday in August. It was instituted by the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin. Here’s how to celebrate, from easy to awesome!
Celebrate America’s favorite condiment on National Mustard Day!
The US consumes more mustard than any other country. Yellow mustard is the favorite. A National Hot Dog and Sausage Council survey found that 71% of Americans who eat hot dogs say they top them with mustard. This is why other countries simply call it American Mustard.
I believe mustard to be one of the most amazing condiments.
Justin Timberlake
Mustard Information
The Mustard Plant
There are 40 species of mustard plants, but only 3 are used to make mustard:
- black (Brassica nigra)
- brown (B. juncea)
- white or yellow (Sinapis alba)
Mustard History
Mustard is thought to be one of the first domesticated crops. There is a record of it in Sanskrit manuscripts dating around 3000 BC, and it was known to be used in cooking and as medicine in Ancient Egypt, India, and China.
The Ancient Romans ground mustard seeds and mixed them with wine to create a paste much like the mustard we use today.
In fact, the term mustard comes from the Latin mustum ardens meaning “burning must“, referring to the hot spiciness the mustard added to “must” – fresh juice from wine grapes.
Mustard Seeds, Powder and Oil
The mustard seeds need to be cracked or ground to release their flavor.
Cracked seeds are used for pickling, in Middle Eastern cuisine as a seasoning, and as a coarse condiment.
Ground mustard powder is used as a rub in grilling, a seasoning in cooking, or to make prepared mustard dip, sauce, dressing or paste.
Mustard oil is made by either pressing the seeds, or grinding them, mixing with water and distilling the oil.
Pressed mustard oil is used for cooking.
Distilled mustard oil is an essential oil that can be toxic and is known to irritate skin and mucous membranes.
It is used in a very small amount to make an Italian fruit condiment called mostarda from candied fruit and a mustard-flavored syrup.
Types of mustard.
There are hundreds of different types of mustard on the market ranging from your basic yellow mustard that every home has, to specialty mustards with fruits, herbs, or spices. Here are some of the most well-known mustard varieties.
Dijon Mustard
Dijon Mustard is so named because it originated from Dijon, France – the mustard capital of the world. It is made with:
- brown and/or black seeds
- seasonings
- white wine, verjuice (juice from unripe grapes) or wine vinegar
It can be coarse or smooth and in a jar or squeeze bottle. Grey Poupon is the most famous of Dijon Mustards.
Meaux Mustard
Meaux is a region of France. It is stirred into cream to make a mustard cream sauce. Meaux Mustard is made with:
- whole-grain mustard seeds
- minimally processed
- black and brown mustard seeds
- vinegar or wine
- spices and salt
Pommery is the most famous Meaux Mustard.
Creole Mustard
A hot, spicy mustard from a Creole recipe. Originated from Louisiana, USA and a staple in New Orleans-style cuisine and Creole-style remoulade sauce. It is made with:
- brown mustard seeds marinated in white wine vinegar & ground
- horseradish
- pepper
German Mustard
German Mustard can be mild, hot or sweet and coarse or fine. It is made with:
- yellow and brown mustard seeds
- spirit vinegar
- spices
- some include honey, brown sugar, or applesauce
The most famous German mustards are Düsseldorf, Mittelscharf and Bavarian Sweet.
Düsseldorf was the first mustard factory in Germany in 1726. It’s mustard jar was immortalized by Vincent Van Gogh in his painting, Still Life with Bottles and Earthenware.
Chinese Mustard
Have you tried the hot mustard in those little packets you get with your Chinese food takeout? It’s scorching hot because they don’t temper the heat of the mustard seeds. It is made with:
- ground brown or black mustard seeds
- cold water instead of vinegar or wine
Homemade Chinese Mustard is super-hot. After you make it you let it sit for 15 minutes to be at its peak of flavor and heat and serve it immediately as it mellows with age. (Don’t we all?!)
English Mustard
English mustard is a hot mustard, but not as hot as Chinese Mustard. To make it hot, it is made with:
- white/yellow and brown mustard seeds
- no vinegar or wine is added so it is hotter
The most famous English mustard is Coleman’s Dry Mustard. You can add it dry to cooking to add flavor, or mix it with water to form a paste (wait 15 minutes as with Chinese mustard.)
Sweet Mustard or Honey Mustard
Sweet mustard and honey mustard is exactly what it sounds like: mustard with a sweetness. Can be hot or mild. It is made with:
- 1/2 mustard base
- 1/2 honey, syrup, or brown sugar
American Yellow Mustard
Also called Ballpark Mustard because it is the favored topping on hot dogs. It is the mildest of mustards. It is made with:
- yellow/white mustard seeds – the mildest
- vinegar and water – cools the mustard down
- turmeric – gives it the bright yellow color
Yellow mustard was first manufactured in the US in 1904 by George T. French as “Cream Salad Mustard”, now known as French’s Mustard.
Whole Grain Mustard
Whole grain mustard features mustard seeds that have not been ground down. They are cracked just enough to release their flavor. It is made with:
- brown and black mustard seeds
- wine
This mustard has a coarse, thick texture.
How to store mustard.
Prepared mustard, the condiment, has a long shelf life – up to 2 years if kept in a cool dark place.
Opened containers should be refrigerated and can be stored for up to 1 year.
Opened mustard will only last about 6 months at room temperature.
Mustard seeds can be stored for up to one year in an air-tight container kept in a dark, dry place.
Dry or ground mustard should be stored in an air-tight container in a dark, dry place as well, for up to 6 months.
Mustard Oil, found in specialty Indian and Oriental markets, should be stored in the refrigerator.
National Mustard Day Inspiration
{entertainment for national mustard day}
Here are some fun ways to celebrate National Mustard Day. How much time and resources do you want to devote? We have some great ideas from a road trip to Wisconsin to a quick trivia quiz. Of course we have suggestions for eating mustard with recipes, and a Happy National Mustard Day mini-party!
1. Visit the National Mustard Museum.
Of course, the ultimate celebration of National Mustard Day would be a visit to the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin.
And the admission is FREE.
Can’t get there this year? Visit them online.
October 28, 1986, after the Boston Red Sox lost the World Series, Barry Levenson found himself in the mustard aisle of an all-night supermarket. He bought dozens of jars of mustard that night and a mustard seed of an idea was planted – amass the world’s largest collection of mustard.
In 1992, Levenson left his job as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Wisconsin to open the National Mustard Museum. Today the museum hosts 6,090 mustards from 50 states and more than 70 countries.
2. Take their Mustard Quiz.
How much do you know about mustard? Take the National Mustard Museum’s pop quiz at Poupon U and find out!
(Their website seems to be having an issue with the nav bar, so you’ll have to scroll down a little to get to the quiz.)
3. Have a mustard taste-test party.
Turn National Mustard Day into a mini-celebration with a Mustard Taste Testing Party!
It’s easy!
Step 1: Choose your mustard.
Try to have a mustard from each category that we discussed above so there are different flavors.
We recommend the World Mustard Collection to keep it simple.
Then add in specialty mustards. There’s some with onion, cranberry and or other berries, figs & dates, orange & ginger, all sorts of different flavors.
Step 2: Decide how you want your mustard tasted.
You can use:
Wooden Spoons
3″ long wooden spoons are so chic, and make the perfect size for to taste test your mustard straight.
But where’s the fun in that? (Except maybe getting photos of their faces!)
Food
Using food makes it a mustard taste testing party!
- hot dogs
- pretzel sticks
- doughy pretzels
- cocktail wieners
- pretzel wrapped cocktail wieners!
Of course you’ll want a dessert to make it a true celebration. How about pretzel-topped cupcakes?
4. See a mustard movie.
Mustard Secret (2019)
“A hilarious, absurdist take on grim 90s Americana, location and accent courtesy of Fitchburg Massachusetts. Captures the particular bleakness of mid-winter in a weird MA town with nothing to do except hang out in front of old stores and tell increasingly skewed stories about that crazy Brody Kid.”
Clue the Movie (1985)
“A comedy where six guests are anonymously invited to a strange mansion for dinner, but after their host is killed, they must cooperate with the staff to identify the murderer as the bodies pile up.”
Why watch this on National Mustard Day? To see Martin Mull play Mr. Mustard.
And then play the game Clue on your iPhone or iPad for free.
{food for national mustard day}
How can you celebrate mustard day without eating mustard?! Try making your own mustard with these amazing recipes.
Best Mustard Recipes
Homemade Yellow Mustard Recipe
Here is a wonderful yellow mustard recipe by David Lebovitz.
Want one that’s more liquid? Try this one at The Spruce Eats.
Chinese Hot Mustard Recipe
If you like the Chinese Hot Mustard you get with your Chinese restaurant order, try making your own at home. The Woks of Life tells you everything you need to know.
Best Honey Mustard Recipe
This honey mustard recipe is the community pick at Food.com.
It doesn’t get any better than that!
Resources
All About German Mustard, German Foods; Mustard Manual: Your Guide to Mustard Varieties, Serious Eats; Mustard Varieties, Spruce Eats
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