An interesting question was e-mailed to me on Saturday from Dale W., one of our readers (thanks Dale).

"What is Creole Mustard and where do I find it?"

Answer:   Well Creole Mustard is a variation of wholegrain mustard where the seeds are slightly crushed. They are not ground nor are they whole. The ingredients in Creole Mustard can vary from producer to producer slightly, however, they all have the same basic flavor. However, some are better than others.

Creole Mustard can substitute American style mustard in most any recipe. There are two basic styles of mustard: those that are smooth and those that contain whole or rough ground seeds of the mustard plant. They may be flavored with herbs, peppercorns, citrus fruits, honey, champagne or sherry. Their flavor can be hot to mild.

The original mustards were first prepared in homes by pounding the seeds in a mortar and adding vinegar. By the time we got to the 14th century, Dijon was established as the mustard-producing center of the world. Some time around 1720 or so, a process of grinding mustard into a fine dry powder was developed. The shelf life of this product was indefinite. In the 19th century a man by the name of Jeremiah Colman started producing very high-quality mustard flour. It is still popular today and know world wide as Colman's Mustard. The Creole style is mostly found today in the Gulf coast region of Mississippi and Louisiana. Having traveled and lived in the North as well as the South, I have found this type of mustard to be great on the ball park frank as well as in sauces to compliment fish and shellfish.

chefjohnny@chefjohnnysproducts.com

Chef Johnny