Being a dedicated sort, I tasted all 10 of these mustards straight from the jar. With watering eyes, pumping endorphins and overactive salivary glands, I licked each mustard off a spoon, then quickly cleansed my palate with plenty of milk and water to subdue the heat. But the sandwich I had at the end, with my new favourite mustard, was worth every fiery spoonful.
Mustard is intriguingly complex in flavour – powerful, umami, hot – yet easy to make. At its simplest, it is little more than fermented mustard seeds soaked in brine until viscous and bubbling. Sadly, however, many modern brands, especially the cheaper ones, see fit to include unnecessary additives, such as xanthan gum and wheat flour. And, rather predictably, the cheaper the mustard, the less actual mustard it tends to contain.
Much as with mayonnaise, many processed mustards contain spirit vinegar instead of more subtle acids, such as white-wine or cider vinegar. Spirit vinegar is harsh and sharp, dominates the overall flavour and can result in an unappealingly aerated, mousse-like texture. In fact, six of the mustards I tasted were so similar, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they were all made in the same factory. They were essentially carbon copies of each other – sulphuric, sweet, hot and moussey – even if they did still bear the hallmark fieriness and complexity of a classic English mustard.
So, when looking for a mustard that’s worth your money, seek out those with real vinegar rather than spirit vinegar, and without emulsifiers or texturing agents such as wheat flour; they’re simply unnecessary. Or, better still, make your own: you can easily produce a year’s worth of mustard with just five minutes’ work.
The best supermarket English mustard
Best overall:
Stokes classic English mustard
★★★★☆
Satin-sheen gold with a sweet, clean aroma. It has that lightly sour and bitter aftertaste typical of English mustard, and a creamy yet slightly granular texture. A simple, well-executed product that delivers on all fronts.
Best bargain:
M&S hot English mustard
★★★★☆
Buttercup yellow with fresh mustard leaf aroma. Made with mustard, salt, lemon juice concentrate and turmeric – and no emulsifiers. The heat builds gradually, it’s less sweet than most, and has a lovely, smooth pureed texture. Exceptional quality for the price.
And the rest …
Tracklements strong English mustard
★★★☆☆
School-bus yellow, and super-fiery and intense: this thick, simple paste made with pureed mustard seeds hits the nose like wasabi. Good ingredients, and well worth its Great Taste star. One for mustard purists.
Colman’s original English mustard
★★★☆☆
Bright yellow with a classic aroma and touch of egg. Really hot, though subdued in a ham sandwich. Quite acidic and powerful, with a thin, puree-like texture. Contains wheat flour and xanthan gum.
Stamford Street Co English mustard
★★☆☆☆
Turmeric yellow, with a pickled egg and salt-and-vinegar-crisp aroma. Instant strong heat on the tongue, sweet with slight complexity and a powdery texture. Contains acetic acid, wheat flour and xanthan gum. A fiery, budget-friendly mustard.
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Tesco English mustard
★★☆☆☆
Rubber-duck yellow with a sulphuric aroma. Salty up front, followed by heat and sweet, complex mustard notes. Slightly moussey in texture, and contains wheat flour and xanthan gum. An affordable and reliable everyday mustard.
Sainsbury’s English mustard
★★☆☆☆
Saffron yellow, with a predominant vinegar aroma, strong sulphuric flavour and bitter notes, all complemented by an enjoyably spiky heat. Aerated and contains wheat flour.
Asda English mustard
★★☆☆☆
Honey yellow, with a reassuringly familiar sweet aroma and a heat that develops and grows, with sulphurous mustard notes. Gloopy texture, though, and contains wheat flour and xanthan gum.
Waitrose Essential English mustard
★★☆☆☆
Classic dark yellow, with a strong spirit vinegar aroma. Extra-hot, with a sweet background and a pronounced eggy mustard flavour. Standard emulsified texture, and contains xanthan gum.
Batts English mustard
★☆☆☆☆
Canary yellow, with a strong spirit vinegar aroma. Very sweet, but with a fiery heat and finishing on bitter mustard notes. Gloopy texture from xanthan gum, and also contains wheat flour. Still, a pretty decent budget mustard.
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