Sauces Reconsidered by Gary Allen

Author:Gary Allen [Allen, Gary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2018-11-12T16:00:00+00:00

Nineteenth-century label for a mustard jar. Source: Public domain

The seeds must be macerated in a liquid (typically beer, vinegar, water, or wine), but not merely to extract their flavor. The maceration actually produces the hot flavor. The name “mustard” reflects this process, since it derives from the Latin mustum—the unfermented grape juice used to develop the ground seeds’ heat. Mustard gets its heat from a very different set of compounds than are found in hot peppers (or even true pepper). Rather than from capsaicin (in chiles) or piperine (in black pepper), mustard’s burn comes from acrinyl isothiocyanate (in white mustard, Brassica hirta) or allyl isothiocyanate (in black mustard, Brassica nigra; in brown mustard, Brassica juncea). None of these compounds exist in the seeds themselves; they are created when the seeds are broken in the presence of some form of moisture. That releases the enzyme myrosinase and several other compounds (glucosinolates; the types and relative amounts in different species account for their differing flavors and intensities) in the seeds that, when combined, produce their burning sensation. In addition to the compounds that deliver its heat, mustard also contains some lecithin and a form of mucilage—a gelatinous polysaccharide—that aid in thickening any sauce to which it is added.

The temperature and acidity of the liquid determine how much isothiocyanate can be produced in those reactions. If the temperature is too high or the pH is too low, the mustard won’t be hot. Excess heat can destroy the myrosinase before it has a chance to react with the glucosinolates. Hence, it is crucial that the seeds not be heated too much by the friction of milling them. Before the eighteenth century, all mustard sauces were composed of whole or lightly crushed seeds. This recipe, from the fourteenth century’s The Book of Sent Soví, would not have been as fiery as today’s mustards.

Historic Recipe: Mostalla

Mustard our way: grind the mustard [seeds] and crush them, or grind them in a mill. Scald two or three times, and then grind it and mix with cold broth. And put in honey or sugar.

If you want to make some in the French way, mix it with vinegar. And you can put in fruit syrup.11

Clearly, honey mustard is not a new idea!

In 1720, a Mrs. Clements found a way to grind the seeds, removing their husks, without creating undue heat. Within a century, Jeremiah Colman was able to market a type of finely ground powder that is the basis for all modern mustards. The hottest purely mustard-based sauces are found in Chinese restaurants. They are nothing but a thick suspension of Colman-type12 powdered mustard in water that is allowed to rest before serving. Much hotter are the scotch bonnet sauces, from Barbados and other West Indian islands, whose inhabitants use mustard as a thickener for their incendiary condiments.

The “wasabi” usually served with sushi in most Japanese restaurants is prepared from a mixture of powdered mustard and ground dried horseradish (and some green food coloring), mixed with water a little before serving to develop its flavor.

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