hey, Sam! I’ve not been a mustard person, but I also haven’t had it in like 25 years and now that I’m older, I’ve found myself tempted at times to try some, like I’ll be eating something be like “hey, what about mustard”. Sooooo do you have any mustard recommendations for a complete mustard beginner? What’s good to try?

copperbadge:

Oooooh, hm. I had to think about this for a while.

Plain yellow mustard (like French’s, or my preference, Plochman’s) can be a bit harsh, so while my first instinct was to suggest buying yourself a bottle of Plochman’s, there are better mustards out there. Sadly mass-produced mustard is mostly that way, so the good stuff is the stuff you get from smaller producers and without knowing who’s in your area, that’s tough to make recommendations on. It also depends on how much heat you like your mustard to have, and how much sweetness.

So I have some suggestions! You could start with a nice honey-mustard (not a honey mustard dressing, but an actual honey mustard); try to find one that uses real honey, not corn syrup, but honestly even corn syrup mustard can be pretty good. Or if you like heat, I’d look for a mustard with “sweet hot” on the label. If there’s a specific kind of heat you like, I know they make chipotle mustards and I believe tabasco and other forms of specific spicy flavorings as well (look for creole mustard especially). I would stay away from dijon mustards at first because they can have a bit of a bitter edge to them (I like that, but not everyone does). 

But I think what’s best, if you’re up for some experimentation, is to buy a tin of Colman’s Mustard Powder and make your own. 

Mustard is basically only three ingredients: mustardseed that is whole, cracked, or powdered, liquid, and seasonings. Usually the liquid is either vinegar or a mix of vinegar and water, but it doesn’t have to be, and with seasonings the sky’s the limit. 

So with Colman’s you can make a little bit of mustard at a time and experiment with ratios. Like a very, very basic mustard is Coleman’s and vinegar or water, and that’s all. You can make it whatever consistency you like, from a paste to a liquid, by adjusting the mix of powder to liquid. You can change the flavor profile by adding seasonings or flavorings like a bit of roasted garlic, horseradish, onions, etc or by using something else instead of water, like espresso, honey, or beer. If you like a bit of texture in your condiments you could also buy whole mustard seed, but I like to at least crack mine a little (and if you buy whole seeds, be sure you soak them in the vinegar for a few days before adding anything else). 

For tasting, I recommend spreading the mustard thinly on a bit of bread and eating it with a little cheese, or dipping some good deli beef in the mustard and eating it that way. If you find one you like, try dipping a grilled-cheese sandwich in it (this is one of my favorites), or slather it on chicken before baking the chicken. 

Good luck and happy experimenting!