The unusual taste of Dijon mustard

Dijon mustard is known all over the world. Probably, there is no person who would not know this delicate, slightly pungent, pleasant taste. We owe its appearance to the French city of the same name. On store shelves, these products are presented in a huge assortment. But it turns out that such a seasoning is not difficult to prepare on your own, at home.

The unchanging choice of kings

Everyone knows Burgundy as a historical region, famous for its sights and unique French flavor. But few people are aware that it was this relatively small area that gave us that delicate taste for which we all love Dijon so much. mustard... A photo of the original composition is shown above.

Historians claim that mustard was used as early as three thousand years before our era. Moreover, it was used not only in cooking, but also in medicine. It is believed that she came to Europe from Asia. But only in Dijon they were able to create the recipe, which later conquered the whole world.

The small French town was the center of mustard production in the early Middle Ages. Mustard has been mentioned in the royal registers since 1292. It is known that Philip VI loved this seasoning. For a long time in the houses of the nobility, it was an irreplaceable addition to the meal, emphasizing the refined taste of the owners of the house. And only in the 18th century the spice became popular among other segments of the population.

Uniqueness in every grain

In 1937, the French Ministry of Agriculture issued a certificate confirming the origin of Dijon mustard. That is, that the product is manufactured in a specific area, according to strictly established rules.

But the main thing that distinguishes Dijon mustard from ordinary mustard is its composition. The classic seasoning is made from brown grains, white wine, water and salt. Moreover, the seeds can be either whole or crushed. But it is believed that they should be grown just near Dijon.

In addition, Dijon mustard may contain unripe juice grapes, tarragon, lavender and so on. There are dozens of recipes that are distinguished by their refined taste and pleasant aftertaste. But all of them are united by soft consistency and viscous structure.

White wine is added to the recipe to make the composition very soft. The result is a delicate structure that is especially appreciated by gourmets.

Unlike the French sauce, ours is spicier. It is made from powder, which is obtained from the cake left after the extraction of the oil. That is, a kind of waste-free production. Sunflower oil is added to the dry composition. But such fat is not able to neutralize the sharpness and harshness (only mustard oil can do this). Why the domestic seasoning turns out to be very "evil". In the Dijon recipe, the grains are not processed. Therefore, they have a completely different taste.

Useful properties of the spice

Dijon mustard is loved not only for its pleasant taste, but also for its beneficial effect on the body. It has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. In addition, the spice contains a large amount of vitamins, minerals, essential oils.

It contains such useful substances as:

• calcium;
• potassium;
• magnesium;
• vitamins of groups A, B, D, E;
• zinc;
• sodium;
• iron and others.

Due to the presence of special essential oils, Dijon mustard promotes the breakdown of fats, improves metabolism, and helps to digest food quickly and easily. The product is especially useful for those who seek to lose excess weight.

The micronutrients contained in grains help restore the correct carbon and protein balance.

A taste that will not be forgotten

Dijon mustard goes well with any meat and vegetables. It is added to pork, beef, lamb, chicken, fish and so on. It is irreplaceable in salads, sauces, dressings. Wherever mustard is present, it can literally transform a dish. It becomes special, with a refined, delicate taste.

If you are a big fan of Dijon mustard, we suggest making it at home. It is not difficult to do. In addition, you can always balance the composition to your liking. And given the fact that there are more than a dozen recipes, you can prepare different sauces each time yourself. Here are some of the most popular ways to make Dijon mustard at home.

Recipe 1

This seasoning is distinguished by its mild taste, aroma and texture familiar to us. Its peculiarity is that not classic black, but white grains are used for cooking. It is these seeds that make the composition very tender and pleasant. This dijon mustard recipe is the easiest to make at home.

For the sauce you will need:

• 100 g of white mustard seeds;
• 230 g of white wine;
• 1 tsp liquid honey;
• 1 tsp refined sunflower oil;
• garlic, salt, allspice beans, cloves, other herbs as desired.

Cooking method:

1. Mustard and pepper seeds must be ground with a coffee grinder. It is recommended to grind the grains separately.
2. The wine needs to be warmed up.
3. Put chopped into a warm liquid garlic, pepper, other spices as desired and boil for a couple of minutes.
4. Then the mixture must be cooled and filtered.
5. Add honey, sunflower oil, salt to the liquid and stir well to get a homogeneous mass.
6. Pour the prepared mustard with this mixture, mix everything well, pour into a glass container and refrigerate.

Let it stand for a day and you can eat. It is delicious with both white and red meat. The main thing is not to add vinegar to it, as it will no longer be Dijon mustard.

Recipe 2

The sauce prepared in this way is obtained with a slight bitterness and sweet and sour aftertaste.

For the recipe you need to take:

• 200 g dark mustard seeds;
• 100 g of white wine;
• 100 g balsamic;
• 100 g of refined olive oil;
• 1 tbsp. l, flower honey;
• 1 tsp salt;
• 1 tsp chopped black pepper.

Cooking method:

1. Before you start cooking Dijon mustard at home, you need to pour the grains with one hundred grams of water and leave for several hours.
2. Slightly knead the softened seeds. For this, it is best to use a special mortar and pestle.
3. Combine honey, wine, balsamic, oil, salt, stir well so that no crystals remain.
4. Add pepper and stir again.
5. Pour the mixture into the mustard, carefully combine, transfer to a jar, leave for several hours.

The expressiveness of the sauce depends on the size of the mustard seeds. The larger they are, the brighter the flavor of the seasoning will be.

Recipe 3

This sauce takes longer to cook than the previous ones. But the mixture turns out to be unusual, with a slight hint of citrus aroma and an exotic aftertaste. How Dijon mustard looks like according to this recipe can be seen in the photo.

For cooking you will need:

• 200 g mustard seeds;
• 50 g squeezed orange juice;
• 50 g of refined vegetable oil (both sunflower and olive oil);
• 200 g of white wine;
• 1 tbsp. l. liquid honey;
• 1 tbsp. l. salt.

This Dijon mustard recipe is prepared in several steps:

1. The mustard seeds must be rinsed well.
2. Transfer the seeds to a container, add wine and orange juice.
3. Mix everything, cover and put in the cold for 1 - 2 days.
4. After that, the mixture must be taken out and left on the table until it reaches room temperature.
5. Then add honey, oil, salt to the composition.
6. Mix everything well, put on fire, cook for 2 - 3 minutes.
7. Next, you need to select a fourth of the mass and grind in a blender to a creamy consistency.
8. Mix the crushed and whole grains.

This recipe can be supplemented with other spices to your liking. This sauce is stored for about three months in the refrigerator.