Mustard: First in War, First in Peace (Even if We Do Consume More Ketchup)

The rivalry between ketchup and mustard has tipped in favor of ketchup as a condiment in the United States for years. But mustard has worked its way into slang expressions and has a commanding lead in both war and peace and a place in history.

This year, as usual, Americans will buy and consume more ketchup (more than 650 million bottles a year) than mustard, but in food history, mustard’s the clear winner.

The first tomato ketchup was created in 1812 by Philadelphia scientist James Mease, according to History.com. Prepared mustard, on the other hand, dates back to the Greeks and Romans, who both had a yellow mustard for which an official recipe, dated around 49 AD, has been discovered. Ten centuries later, mustard made its way to the small French town of Dijon where a financier named Auguste Poupon whipped up a spicier version from brown or black rather than yellow mustard seeds, a better match for sauces, dressings, and marinades.

It took until 1904 for mustard to make it across the Pond, when the R.T. French Company, introduced a mild yellow version as a hot dog condiment at the St. Louis World’s Fair.

Today, former Wisconsin Attorney General Barry Levenson operates the National Mustard Museum, a collection of over 5,000 mustards from more than 60 countries, along with loads of mustardy memorabilia.

Medically speaking, normal servings of mustard are “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But like many fruits and veggies, mustard greens may trigger allergic reactions such as itchy rashes or gastric upset in sensitive people. Mustard’s nippy flavor comes from oils containing sinigrin, a bitter compound also found in onions, garlic, and the cruciferous vegetables broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes. These oily chemicals expand the tiny blood vessels just under the skin so that more blood surges through, creating a sensation of warmth. But more than enough is too much. The Natural Medicines Database notes that applying white or black mustard to the skin for an extended period of time can cause burns or blisters, which is why modern heating pads with automatic turnoff thermostats are safer than old-fashioned mustard plasters.

In the tummy, mustard irritates the stomach lining, which then secretes gastric juices that trigger contractions called hunger pangs, and at the dinner table, the mustard plant is one incredibly economical herb. Virtually every part finds a place on the plate. The leaves boil up to a nice veggie side dish or you can serve them fresh in a salad. The seeds, once dried, are ground to make, well, mustard. USDA says a single serving of plain yellow mustard such as the packets served in a restaurant is usually about a teaspoon with a mere 3 calories and nothing more; a single serving of Dijon mustard may contain up to 10 calories. But mustard greens’ nutrient profile begins with zero fat and goes on to nearly 40 percent of the adult Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C, plus 7 percent of the RDA for iron and protein per one cup chopped fresh leaves.

It has found its way into many phrases or expressions, from chemical weapons to baseball.

In World War I, the German Army unleashed what became known as “mustard gas,” which resulted in thousands of enemy casualties. Also known as the “King of Battle Gases,” mustard gas did not contain any actual mustard ingredients. Its chemical name is sulfur mustard, derived from its sulfur and nitrogen components and was given the name “mustard” because of its yellow-brown color and mustard-like odor.

It caused blisters, temporary blindness, and death to those exposed, according to Science History. It was such a feared weapon that the U.S. military in WW II conducted secret experiments to prepare for the possibility of chemical warfare from enemy nations, and it was banned as a modern weapon of war. Read more: https://www.grunge.com/465535/the-us-governments-secret-mustard-gas-experiments-explained/

In slang, “mustard” may mean money or enthusiasm. In baseball, a pitcher might be asked to “put a little mustard on it,” meaning to put a little more zip on the ol’ fastball. In Britain or Australia, one might use the word this way: “I know you kids aren’t exactly keen as mustard to clean out the boot [trunk of car], but it really needs to be done.” And here at home, failing to cut the mustard is definitely not a good thing.