The French City of Dijon has been a hub of Mustard making and consumption since as early as the 14th Century where, for example, there are written accounts of guests at the Duke of Burgundy’s 1336 gala consuming 70 gallons of a Mustard Cream Sauce (Moutarde Sauce) in a single sitting.
In 1777, Maurice Grey and Auguste Poupon began a business to commercialize Grey’s recipe for a Mustard made with White Wine instead of the more traditional Vinegar. The forceful, creamy Mustard their partnership yielded remains the standard by which Dijon Mustards are judged. Today, at 32 Rue de la Liberté, in the heart of Dijon, one can still visit the Maille-Grey-Poupon boutique.
In practice, their Grey Poupon Mustard should have been the first Dijon Mustard, but the claim is disputed. Some food historians believe that the mustard we know as Dijon Mustard, originated in 1856, when Monsieur Jean Naigeon of Dijon, used Verjuice (the acidic “green” juice of not quite ripe grapes), and not White Wine, to replace the Vinegar traditionally used as an Acid in Mustard recipes.
In 1937, Dijon Mustard was granted an Appellation d'origine controlee but it is not covered by the E.U.’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or a Protected Geographical Indication so there are plants all over the world cranking out Dijon Mustard.
Djon Mustard Is available all year long.
Today most Dijon Mustards are made from the stronger Black Mustard Seeds or Brown Mustard Seeds and contain White Wine and not verjuice. We may have to give the blue ribbon to the team of Grey & Poupon.
Once opened, Dijon Mustard will last approximately1 year refrigerated. Unopened, Dijon Mustard will last approximately 2 years in the pantry.
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