The whole, ground, cracked, or bruised mustard seeds are mixed with water, vinegar, lemon juice, wine, or other liquids, salt, and often other flavourings and spices, to create a paste or sauce ranging mustard powder colour from bright yellow to dark brown. The seed itself has a strong, pungent, and somewhat bitter taste.
The taste of mustard condiments ranges from sweet to spicy. Mustard is commonly paired with meats, vegetables and cheeses, especially as a condiment for sandwiches, hamburgers, corn dogs, and hot dogs. The English word “mustard” derives from the Anglo-Norman mustarde and Old French mostarde. That civilization existed until about 1850 BCE.
The Romans were probably the first to experiment with the preparation of mustard as a condiment. The Romans likely exported mustard seed to Gaul, and by the 10th century, monks of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris absorbed the mustard-making knowledge of Romans and began their own production. The early use of mustard as a condiment in England is attested from the year 1390 in the book The Forme of Cury which was written by King Richard II’s master cooks. The use of mustard as a hot dog condiment is said to have been first seen in the US at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, when the bright-yellow French’s mustard was introduced by the R. Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.