by Shawn Grundy

Created on: September 17, 2008   Last Updated: November 22, 2010

Mustard - The oldest spice in the world. You may hear this very statement from some historians. The truth is that the origin of mustard is lost in history so we don't know exactly when it was first discovered. Seeds have been traced to the stone ages.

Mustard originally was a plant native to the Northern hemisphere and used in great quantities by wealthy Romans, Egyptians, and other cultures throughout Europe and Northern Africa. Of course, it was not in the creamy yellow form that most of us use on our hot dogs today. It actually had very different uses depending on the people using it.

For example, the wealthy Roman families of ancient times would keep seeds at the table, and then grind them fresh to put into their wine. Sumerians made a paste from the seeds, mixed with the juices of unripened grapes called verjus. Egyptians used the seeds whole, often times simply tossing themt over food and using them to accompany people to their tombs...including King Tut.

Mustard has been around for thousands of years, and actually came to the Western world even before pepper. Once this admirable spice was inserted into trade routes established all over Europe, the most popular method of consumption was to chew the seeds along with various meats to act as a seasoning.

Today, mustard has evolved into various products used for various uses. For instance, there is yellow mustard which is the everyday "common" stuff that we put on our hot dogs and hamburgers. Even though the color of this is bright yellow, this mustard is usually made with white or brown mustard seeds, not the black type often used in Dijon for example. There's honey-mustard, stone ground mustard, deli mustard, horseradish mustard, Chinese mustard, wasabi mustard, mustard powder, mustard seed, and fresh mustard greens to name the majority of today's variations. It certainly has come a long way from tossing seeds on top of your food.

Even though mustard was used very differently in ancient times than it is today, it's importance as a staple was still present. It truly is one of the building blocks of the culinary world. It is undoubtedly one of the most versatile foods on the planet and that is reflected by both the amount of variations it has as well as how many different cultures use it in unique and equally wonderful ways. Today, across the globe, regardless of culture or economic condition, mustard is one of the common household items and certainly a very important piece of history.

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