Chef Grey Poupon

Mustard Lovers Around the World

I will never forget the first time I had Chinese mustard. I must have been about ten years old and had seen other people use it with reckless abandon so I applied a liberal amount to my egg roll and WHEW! The pungency kicked me in the sinuses so hard I was in tears. I really expected it to taste more like yellow mustard.

Since mustard was discovered by our European neighbors, it seems only natural to think that France must be the leading producer of mustard seeds. In actuality, Canada holds the title with the production of over 43% of the world’s mustard seeds. It is followed by Nepal and Russia, but the United States also makes the top 10 list.

Well, apparently Americans like their mustard because in addition to being one of the leading producers, the United States comes in second on the import list trailing behind Bangladesh and followed by Germany. Together, they account for about 56 percent of the world’s mustard seed imports!

It is hard to say who eats the most mustard. I’ve read everything from Americans to the Brits. One thing is certain—with world production of mustard seed coming from over 21 countries and weighing in at over 700,000 metric tons, it is no surprise that the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum in Wisconsin has almost 5,000 different kinds of mustard from all 50 states and more than 60 countries. From India to Europe to our very own backyards, this is one condiment that tantalizes taste buds worldwide.