Mustard, a very common condiment, is made from mustard seeds.

Usually seen with varying shades of yellow or brown, this condiment has the ability to add a bit of bite to whatever it is added to.

There are three types of mustard seeds, yellow, black and brown, with yellow being more mellow than black or brown seeds. Unsurprisingly, despite coming from a single plant, there are many types of mustard as a by-product.

The general mustard recipe is mustard seeds (ground, powdered, cracked or whole), water, salt and an acid like lemon juice or vinegar. Other herbs and spices are often included to add flavour. The most common varieties are:

• American yellow mustard, the mildest ground mustard with turmeric added for that bright yellow colour
• Dijon mustard, the most popular flavour in Canada, is made by adding vinegar to seeds and grinding it to difference textures
• Spicy brown mustard, made with brown and yellow, it is much spicier and than other mustard
• Homemade mustard, a recipe that is featured on this very site, is a whole grain mustard made with seeds, vinegar and water

There are many other varieties, usually named after the region it was created.

Depending on the seeds used, mustard can be very strong, especially brown and black mustard seeds, so be cautious about coating your steak in brown mustard seed.

Uses For Mustard

Don’t relegate mustard to a simple hamburger topping. Explore its uses in lots of other ways:

• Use in salad dressings
• Create yogurt based dips using mustard
• Add to gravies and sauces
• Add to marinades for chicken and pork

What are your favourite ways to incorporate mustard?