So today we're back to condiments. In general I'm not a huge mustard fan--I do enjoy it on certain foods though, such as hot dogs, hamburgers, and subs. The one I'll be discussing in this post is the honey Dijon mustard from the Maille company.
The Maille company is old--impressively so. It's actually older than the U.S.A., since it dates back to 1747. In that long ago year, a French man named Antoine-Claude Maille opened up a business called La Maison Maille in Paris. It sold vinegar. Maille was actually a second generation vinegar maker, as his dad (who had the same name as his son) had already become notable for his vinegar in the 1720's. The older Maille even thought that imbibing vinegar could protect folks from the plague. (For the record, this wasn't true.) Well, the younger Maille's vinegar quickly became renowned, so much so that he became the official vinegar supplier to the court of King Louis XV. In 1760 Maille became the supplier to the royal courts of Hungary and Austria as well. And in 1771 the company achieved the same distinction to Catherine the Great's Russian court. In 1800 Maille sold his business to an associate named Andre-Arnoult Acloque. Although one of his sons still was involved in the family business, just not as an owner, or the son of the owner. In 1885 the Maille company was sold to another famous mustard/condiment business, Grey Poupon. Ownership changed hands several more times over the next century, including a Rothschild, and Poupon on and off, until finally it was sold to the behemoth Unilever in 2000. In addition to selling various types of mustard, Maille also markets cooking oils, cornichons (see my post on February 17, 2016 for more info about this food type) salad dressings, and even stoneware and kitchen gifts.
Moving on, the history of Dijon mustard is very extensive, too. Its roots go all the way back to 1336, when it was made for the French King Philip VI. However, the French town of Dijon, in Burgundy, became the center of its manufacture, as this place was granted the exclusive rights to produce it in the 1600's. In 1856 a Dijon resident named Jean Naigeon made a revolutionary change--substituting verjuice (the acidic juice from unripe grapes) for the traditional vinegar. Although, confusingly, this alternative doesn't appear to be strictly followed, as many modern Dijon mustards still use vinegar instead of verjuice. The traditional ingredients for Dijon mustard are brown mustard seeds, white wine, vinegar (or verjuice), salt, and water. Finally, unlike some products, which have to be produced in an officially designated area, like champagne has to be made in that region of France, or ouzo has to be created in Greece or Cyprus, or Roquefort cheese has to originate from a specific area in France, Dijon mustard isn't protected in that way. So if you're in Tasmania, or Djibouti, or in Toledo, Ohio, you can make and sell Dijon mustard, under that name, and no one can stop you.
Maille honey Dijon mustard: Had a light yellow color, and a rich, heady odor. I had a bit plain, some on a hoagie (aka sub, grinder, etc.), and some on Vienna sausages. It was really good for all of these. A great flavor--savory and sweet. Very respectable condiment. I would highly recommend this, unless you're a person who actively hates mustard, I guess.
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