Medieval Mustard

Thick coarse ground mustard with spices

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City/Region: France

Time Period: c. 1300

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One of the ways of preparing early medieval French mustard included grinding the seeds with grape must (the seeds, skins, and juice of unfermented wine grapes). In medieval Latin, this was called mustum ardens, or “burning must.” Later, this became moustarde/moutarde, and mustard was a flavoring for both the common people, as it could be grown at home, and for the wealthy, as seen as part of lavish feasts.

This recipe, from much later in the Middle Ages, doesn’t contain must, but it is delicious. It has some kick to it, much more than the Roman mustard made with honey, and would be excellent with some meat or even on a hotdog. You can still buy the version made with must, just look for moutarde violette.

“Moustarde . . . If you want to make it good and at leisure, put the mustard seed to soak overnight in good vinegar; then have it ground well in the mill, and little by little thin it with vinegar. And if you have any spices left over from making jelly, clare, hippocras, or sauces, have them ground with it, and afterward let it rest.”

— Le Viandier de Taillevent by Guillaume Tirel, c. 1300

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Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (50 g) white mustard seeds*, or any other color you like
• About 1/4 cup (60 ml) wine vinegar, white or red
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon mace
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 2 cups (475 ml) wine, white or red

*White mustard seeds and yellow mustard seeds are the same thing.

Instructions:

1. Place the mustard seeds in a small bowl, pour enough vinegar over them to cover them (you may need more or less than 1/4 cup), and let them soak overnight.
2. Make the hippocras by mixing together the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, mace, and cloves. Place this mixture on a couple layers of cheesecloth, then gather the cheesecloth up and tie it with some kitchen twine to make a little sachet. Place the sachet in the wine and let it soak overnight.
3. The next day, grind the soaked mustard seeds in a mortar until it's as smooth as you like.
4. Mix in some more vinegar a little at a time until you get a nice thick consistency. You can thin it out as much as you like, but the vinegar may start to overpower the flavor.
5. Take the sachet out of the wine, open it up, and add the spices to the mustard. You can serve the hippocras forth as a drink. Stir the spices into the mustard, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then serve it forth.

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