Ketchup vs Mustard: Difference between revisions

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== Mustard, "an Uncommon Condiment" ==

Let's start with mustard, a condiment of a truly ancient pedigree. If you take a jar of mustard from your fridge and read the list of ~~ingedients~~ on the label, you'll see it's made mostly of mustard seeds, vinegar, salt and sugar. The composition is so simple you ~~coul~~ quite easily make your own mustard at home (more about it later). What's more, the list of ingredients has remained pretty much unchanged for centuries. The crucial ingredient are, of course, the mustard seeds, so let's begin with them.

Let's start with mustard, a condiment of a truly ancient pedigree. If you take a jar of mustard from your fridge and read the list of ingredients on the label, you'll see it's made mostly of mustard seeds, vinegar, salt and sugar. The composition is so simple you could quite easily make your own mustard at home (more about it later). What's more, the list of ingredients has remained pretty much unchanged for centuries. The crucial ingredient are, of course, the mustard seeds, so let's begin with them.

[[File:Kapustowate EN.png|thumb|upright=1.3|left|~~ustard~~ plant's family relations. It's actually hard to imagine modern cuisine without the cabbage family.]]

[[File:Kapustowate EN.png|thumb|upright=1.3|left|Mustard plant's family relations. It's actually hard to imagine modern cuisine without the cabbage family.]]

The mustard plant, which looks quite similar to rapeseed (or what North Americans call "canola") with its bright-yellow flowers, produces seeds which have a very specific taste. But taste is it exactly? The plant's Polish name, "''gorczyca''" suggests a bitter ("''gorzki''") taste. But if you ground some with you teeth, you'd notice that they are actually sweetish and very piquant, but not exactly bitter. So did the plant get its Polish name from? Most likely from the verb "''gorzeć''", "to burn", as both bitterness and the taste of raw mustard seeds could be described as "burning".

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But wait, what did he mean by "tree"? Mustard is an annual plant, it doesn't grow more than 60 cm tall. Did Jesus get confused or was he misquoted by Luke or mistranslated by Bible scholars?

Anyway, ancient Romans found out that mustard seeds' sharp taste may be somewhat blunted by mixing them with sour-tasting grape must. They called this mixture "burning must", or "''mustum ardens''" in Latin, which, as you may have guessed, is where the "mustard" comes from. This condiment survived the fall of the Roman Empire and was quite commonplace in medieval Europe. By that time, however, the must would have been usually replaced with either verjuice (unripe grape juice) or vinegar (although the famous Dijon mustard, for example, still has some white wine added to it). The fact that mustard was common known throughout Europe doesn't mean that medieval Europeans didn't have their stereotypes about specific nations' supposed love for the condiment. One such ~~stereotyope~~ was best illustrated by Eustache Deschamp, a 15th-century pioneer of French culinary chauvinism who didn't care for any food outside the borders of France.

Anyway, ancient Romans found out that mustard seeds' sharp taste may be somewhat blunted by mixing them with sour-tasting grape must. They called this mixture "burning must", or "''mustum ardens''" in Latin, which, as you may have guessed, is where the "mustard" comes from. This condiment survived the fall of the Roman Empire and was quite commonplace in medieval Europe. By that time, however, the must would have been usually replaced with either verjuice (unripe grape juice) or vinegar (although the famous Dijon mustard, for example, still has some white wine added to it). The fact that mustard was common known throughout Europe doesn't mean that medieval Europeans didn't have their stereotypes about specific nations' supposed love for the condiment. One such stereotype was best illustrated by Eustache Deschamp, a 15th-century pioneer of French culinary chauvinism who didn't care for any food outside the borders of France. I already once quoted [[A_Royal_Banquet_in_Cracow#Pike_in_the_Polish_style|his not too flattering description of Czech cuisine]]; now it's time for a poem about Belgian cookery.

Tak czy siak, starożytni Rzymianie wymyślili, że ostry smak gorczycy można nieco złagodzić mieszając go z kwaśnym moszczem winnym. Mieszankę tę nazywali „palącym moszczem”, czyli „''mustum ardens''”, z czego, jak łatwo się domyślić, pochodzi słowo „musztarda”. Przyprawa ta przyjęła się na tyle, że przetrwała nawet upadek Imperium Rzymskiego i w średniowiecznej Europie była na porządku dziennym, z tym że moszcz winny coraz częściej zastępowano sokiem z niedojrzałych winogron albo – tak jak dzisiaj – octem (choć np. słynną musztardę z Dijon nadal robi z białego wina). Co nie znaczy, że średniowieczni Europejczycy nie mieli swoich stereotypów na temat tego, które narody kochają musztardę bardziej niż inne, czego najlepszym przykładem jest wiersz Eustachego Deschamps, XIV-wiecznego prekursora francuskiego szowinizmu kulinarnego, któremu nie smakowało nic poza granicami Francji. [[Wierzynek_–_pierwszy_polski_restaurator?#Dodanie_do_dania|Jego niezbyt pochlebny opis kuchni czeskiej]] już kiedyś cytowałem, teraz pora na wiersz o gastronomii belgijskiej (ten też w moim przekładzie).

[[File:Szyld Amory.JPG|thumb|upright|An oakwood signboard for the French mustard company Amora, used at the Dijon Gastronomy Fair in 1930.]]

[[File:Szyld Amory.JPG|thumb|upright|~~Dębowy szyld francuskiego producenta musztardy~~ Amora ~~z targów gastronomicznych w ~~Dijon ~~w ~~1930~~ r~~.]]

{{ Cytat

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}} }}

[[File:Reklama musztardy.jpg|thumb|upright|~~Reklama polskiej musztardy z ~~1934~~ r.~~]]

[[File:Reklama musztardy.jpg|thumb|upright|Polish mustard advertisement from 1934]]

~~A kiedy musztarda dotarła do Polski? Pewnie też już w średniowieczu~~, ~~choć pierwsze wzmianki pisane na jej temat pochodzą dopiero z XVII w~~. ~~Oto co pisał o niej~~ Szymon Syreński~~, słynny polski lekarz i botanik~~:

And when did mustard find its way into Poland. Probably no later than in the Middle Ages, although the earliest known written mentions of it come only from the 17th century. This what Polish physician and botanist Szymon Syreński (also known as Simon Syrenius) wrote about it:

{{ Cytat

| Mustard seeds are made into a peculiar and healthy delicacy which is commonly used at the table, especially in the colder seasons. This delicacy is known as "gorczyczka", or by the foreign name "mustarda", and everyone makes it according to their own liking. {{...}} Some simply grind fresh mustard seeds {{...}} and then dissolve them in sweet wine and honey. Others add sugar and vinegar. Others still add finely chopped, honeyed orange zest, which ~~gives~~ the mustard it a peculiar taste. Some mix their mustard with pears or blanched almonds, as well as with quince, and season it with cinnamon and cloves {{...}}

| Mustard seeds are made into a peculiar and healthy delicacy which is commonly used at the table, especially in the colder seasons. This delicacy is known as "gorczyczka", or by the foreign name "mustarda", and everyone makes it according to their own liking. {{...}} Some simply grind fresh mustard seeds {{...}} and then dissolve them in sweet wine and honey. Others add sugar and vinegar. Others still add finely chopped, honeyed orange zest, which lends the mustard a peculiar taste. Some mix their mustard with pears or blanched almonds, as well as with quince, and season it with cinnamon and cloves {{...}}

| oryg = Z gorczycy czynią przysmak bardzo osobliwy i zdrowy, którego pospolicie używają przy stole, zwłaszcza czasów zimnych. Ten przysmak zowią właśnie u nas „gorczyczka”, z cudzoziemska „mustarda”, którą każdy według swej woli i upodobania czyni {{...}} Jedni po prostu wiercą nasienie gorczyczne co najświeższe {{...}}, a uwierciszy go w donicy, winem słodkim a miodem roztwarzają. Drudzy kładą cukier a octem rozpuszczają. Inni skórki pomarańczowe w miodzie przyprawione drobno siekają i w mostardę kładą, które smak osobliwy czynią. Niektórzy z gdulami [t.j. gruszkami] albo z da[k]t[y]lami z skórek i z błonek swych ochędożonymi, jako z pigwami, przyprawują, przydając cynamonu, goździków {{...}}

| źródło = {{Cyt

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 == Mustard, "an Uncommon Condiment" ==
-Let's start with mustard, a condiment of a truly ancient pedigree. If you take a jar of mustard from your fridge and read the list of ingedients on the label, you'll see it's made mostly of mustard seeds, vinegar, salt and sugar. The composition is so simple you coul quite easily make your own mustard at home (more about it later). What's more, the list of ingredients has remained pretty much unchanged for centuries. The crucial ingredient are, of course, the mustard seeds, so let's begin with them.
+Let's start with mustard, a condiment of a truly ancient pedigree. If you take a jar of mustard from your fridge and read the list of ingredients on the label, you'll see it's made mostly of mustard seeds, vinegar, salt and sugar. The composition is so simple you could quite easily make your own mustard at home (more about it later). What's more, the list of ingredients has remained pretty much unchanged for centuries. The crucial ingredient are, of course, the mustard seeds, so let's begin with them.
-[[File:Kapustowate EN.png|thumb|upright=1.3|left|ustard plant's family relations. It's actually hard to imagine modern cuisine without the cabbage family.]]
+[[File:Kapustowate EN.png|thumb|upright=1.3|left|Mustard plant's family relations. It's actually hard to imagine modern cuisine without the cabbage family.]]
 The mustard plant, which looks quite similar to rapeseed (or what North Americans call "canola") with its bright-yellow flowers, produces seeds which have a very specific taste. But taste is it exactly? The plant's Polish name, "''gorczyca''" suggests a bitter ("''gorzki''") taste. But if you ground some with you teeth, you'd notice that they are actually sweetish and very piquant, but not exactly bitter. So did the plant get its Polish name from? Most likely from the verb "''gorzeć''", "to burn", as both bitterness and the taste of raw mustard seeds could be described as "burning".
@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 But wait, what did he mean by "tree"? Mustard is an annual plant, it doesn't grow more than 60 cm tall. Did Jesus get confused or was he misquoted by Luke or mistranslated by Bible scholars?
-Anyway, ancient Romans found out that mustard seeds' sharp taste may be somewhat blunted by mixing them with sour-tasting grape must. They called this mixture "burning must", or "''mustum ardens''" in Latin, which, as you may have guessed, is where the "mustard" comes from. This condiment survived the fall of the Roman Empire and was quite commonplace in medieval Europe. By that time, however, the must would have been usually replaced with either verjuice (unripe grape juice) or vinegar (although the famous Dijon mustard, for example, still has some white wine added to it). The fact that mustard was common known throughout Europe doesn't mean that medieval Europeans didn't have their stereotypes about specific nations' supposed love for the condiment. One such stereotyope was best illustrated by Eustache Deschamp, a 15th-century pioneer of French culinary chauvinism who didn't care for any food outside the borders of France.
+Anyway, ancient Romans found out that mustard seeds' sharp taste may be somewhat blunted by mixing them with sour-tasting grape must. They called this mixture "burning must", or "''mustum ardens''" in Latin, which, as you may have guessed, is where the "mustard" comes from. This condiment survived the fall of the Roman Empire and was quite commonplace in medieval Europe. By that time, however, the must would have been usually replaced with either verjuice (unripe grape juice) or vinegar (although the famous Dijon mustard, for example, still has some white wine added to it). The fact that mustard was common known throughout Europe doesn't mean that medieval Europeans didn't have their stereotypes about specific nations' supposed love for the condiment. One such stereotype was best illustrated by Eustache Deschamp, a 15th-century pioneer of French culinary chauvinism who didn't care for any food outside the borders of France. I already once quoted [[A_Royal_Banquet_in_Cracow#Pike_in_the_Polish_style|his not too flattering description of Czech cuisine]]; now it's time for a poem about Belgian cookery.
-Tak czy siak, starożytni Rzymianie wymyślili, że ostry smak gorczycy można nieco złagodzić mieszając go z&nbsp;kwaśnym moszczem winnym. Mieszankę tę nazywali „palącym moszczem”, czyli „''mustum ardens''”, z&nbsp;czego, jak łatwo się domyślić, pochodzi słowo „musztarda”. Przyprawa ta przyjęła się na tyle, że przetrwała nawet upadek Imperium Rzymskiego i&nbsp;w średniowiecznej Europie była na porządku dziennym, z&nbsp;tym że moszcz winny coraz częściej zastępowano sokiem z&nbsp;niedojrzałych winogron albo – tak jak dzisiaj – octem (choć np. słynną musztardę z&nbsp;Dijon nadal robi z&nbsp;białego wina). Co nie znaczy, że średniowieczni Europejczycy nie mieli swoich stereotypów na temat tego, które narody kochają musztardę bardziej niż inne, czego najlepszym przykładem jest wiersz Eustachego Deschamps, XIV-wiecznego prekursora francuskiego szowinizmu kulinarnego, któremu nie smakowało nic poza granicami Francji. [[Wierzynek_–_pierwszy_polski_restaurator?#Dodanie_do_dania|Jego niezbyt pochlebny opis kuchni czeskiej]] już kiedyś cytowałem, teraz pora na wiersz o&nbsp;gastronomii belgijskiej (ten też w&nbsp;moim przekładzie).
+[[File:Szyld Amory.JPG|thumb|upright|An oakwood signboard for the French mustard company Amora, used at the Dijon Gastronomy Fair in 1930.]]
-[[File:Szyld Amory.JPG|thumb|upright|Dębowy szyld francuskiego producenta musztardy Amora z&nbsp;targów gastronomicznych w&nbsp;Dijon w&nbsp;1930&nbsp;r.]]
 {{ Cytat
@@ Line 112: / Line 110: @@
   }} }}
-[[File:Reklama musztardy.jpg|thumb|upright|Reklama polskiej musztardy z&nbsp;1934&nbsp;r.]]
+[[File:Reklama musztardy.jpg|thumb|upright|Polish mustard advertisement from 1934]]
-A kiedy musztarda dotarła do Polski? Pewnie też już w&nbsp;średniowieczu, choć pierwsze wzmianki pisane na jej temat pochodzą dopiero z&nbsp;XVII&nbsp;w. Oto co pisał o&nbsp;niej Szymon Syreński, słynny polski lekarz i&nbsp;botanik:
+And when did mustard find its way into Poland. Probably no later than in the Middle Ages, although the earliest known written mentions of it come only from the 17th century. This what Polish physician and botanist Szymon Syreński (also known as Simon Syrenius) wrote about it:
 {{ Cytat
-| Mustard seeds are made into a peculiar and healthy delicacy which is commonly used at the table, especially in the colder seasons. This delicacy is known as "gorczyczka", or by the foreign name "mustarda", and everyone makes it according to their own liking. {{...}} Some simply grind fresh mustard seeds {{...}} and then dissolve them in sweet wine and honey. Others add sugar and vinegar. Others still add finely chopped, honeyed orange zest, which gives the mustard it a peculiar taste. Some mix their mustard with pears or blanched almonds, as well as with quince, and season it with cinnamon and cloves {{...}}
+| Mustard seeds are made into a peculiar and healthy delicacy which is commonly used at the table, especially in the colder seasons. This delicacy is known as "gorczyczka", or by the foreign name "mustarda", and everyone makes it according to their own liking. {{...}} Some simply grind fresh mustard seeds {{...}} and then dissolve them in sweet wine and honey. Others add sugar and vinegar. Others still add finely chopped, honeyed orange zest, which lends the mustard a peculiar taste. Some mix their mustard with pears or blanched almonds, as well as with quince, and season it with cinnamon and cloves {{...}}
 | oryg = Z&nbsp;gorczycy czynią przysmak bardzo osobliwy i&nbsp;zdrowy, którego pospolicie używają przy stole, zwłaszcza czasów zimnych. Ten przysmak zowią właśnie u&nbsp;nas „gorczyczka”, z&nbsp;cudzoziemska „mustarda”, którą każdy według swej woli i&nbsp;upodobania czyni {{...}} Jedni po prostu wiercą nasienie gorczyczne co najświeższe {{...}}, a&nbsp;uwierciszy go w&nbsp;donicy, winem słodkim a&nbsp;miodem roztwarzają. Drudzy kładą cukier a&nbsp;octem rozpuszczają. Inni skórki pomarańczowe w&nbsp;miodzie przyprawione drobno siekają i&nbsp;w mostardę kładą, które smak osobliwy czynią. Niektórzy z&nbsp;gdulami [t.j. gruszkami] albo z&nbsp;da[k]t[y]lami z&nbsp;skórek i&nbsp;z błonek swych ochędożonymi, jako z&nbsp;pigwami, przyprawują, przydając cynamonu, goździków {{...}}
 | źródło = {{Cyt