Fellow Mustard Lovers:Unbearded"
The Mrs. and I lean towards Grey Poupon (a brand of Dijon mustard [known] for it's moderately sharp, vinegar / [white wine] aroma that give a 'hint' of modest horseradish).
Sponsored by Grey Poupon - Bon Appétit - 30 Oct 17
"This Cool-Kid Condiment Has Always Been Cool!
With a history that goes back centuries, Dijon mustard was cool before you were even born.
Forget trendy hot sauces. Banish the thought of frou-frou hipster mayonnaise. The coolest condiment in your fridge is none other than Dijon mustard.
Hear us out. That petite jar of Dijon mustard has a wallop of a backstory: Centuries before millionaires were sidling up next to each other in fancy cars in search of a refined [...] mustard ["Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon"?], was—quite literally—the condiment of kings.
The tangy add-on first appeared on French tables in 1336 when it was invented for a royal banquet held in honor of King Philip VI. Legend tells us that it was a sensational hit, with guests devouring 70 gallons of the stuff. It’s been cementing its cool-kid status ever since.
The proof is in the history books. Some time after mustard’s grand debut, artisans in Dijon, France, began putting their own spin on the celebrated spread. While previous versions relied on vinegar for mustard’s signature tang, Dijon’s visionaries swapped in verjuice, the highly acidic juice of pressed unripe grapes, which made for a smoother and more refined expression. Over the years, they continued to up the ante with the additions of ingredients like white wine and wine vinegar. This talent for innovation earned them more than a little praise: Mustard exploded in popularity, so much so that King Louis XIV ultimately conferred a coat of arms to mustard makers in the 17th century: a silver funnel set against a rich blue background.
By the time of Napoleon III, who ruled France between 1848 and 1870, Dijon mustard had hit its stride. The monarch favored Grey Poupon, which had become more accessible to the masses thanks to a game-changing invention by Grey Poupon co-owner Englishman Maurice Grey [but he needed financing, which he obtained in 1866 from Frenchman Auguste Poupon, another Dijon mustard manufacturer. The Grey–Poupon partnership produced their first mustard around 1866 in Djon, France.] , which crushed and refined mustard seeds into a fine powder in a single process.
Production increased from 35 pounds produced per worker a day to more than 100 pounds, and the company flourished. According to The Mustard Cookbook, in 1860 Grey became the first Dijon mustard producer to secure a highly coveted royal appointment. Mustard also began to inhabit a dual role in France’s culinary landscape: a fancy, high-end good that was nonetheless attainable for the everyday cook.
Flash forward to modern day. A string of now-famous commercials in the 1980s—yep, the ones with Dijon mustard-obsessed fancy car enthusiasts—revved up stateside sales of Grey Poupon and opened the eyes of a new generation. America was hooked on Dijon mustard.
In the process, Grey Poupon elbowed its way into the hallowed halls of pop culture, earning shoutouts in chart-topping hip-hop songs for years. The numbers prove it: Dijon mustard enthusiasts count nearly 120 references in rap lyrics spanning three decades.
Nearly 240 years after the famous mustard house’s founding, its top-secret top-secret recipe may very well remain under lock and key. Details are scarce, but its last known whereabouts can be traced to a 1989 report in the LA Times, which placed it in a locked safe at a guarded facility.
Grey Poupon, it’s official: You’re the coolest".
Works Cited: History of Grey Poupon...it's always been Cool
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