The Yellow Commodity Hotter Than Gold

08-Aug-2013

I like this.

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Mustard has always been seen as the perfect, zesty accompaniment to the all-American hot dog. But now it’s proving to be hot in an altogether different sense.

 

Namely, as the “it” condiment embraced by the foodie crowd.

 

Consider that gourmet brands are releasing mustards reflecting a broadening range of styles and incorporating a seemingly endless array of flavors. Among the varieties now on store shelves: Dusseldorf-style mustards (“Move over Dijon,” declared one food writer last year), fruity mustards (blueberry, anyone?) and the super-coarse Tin Mustard (it’s got a texture reminiscent of caviar, say fans). And mainstream manufacturers are getting in on the act, too. French’s, the best-selling brand that’s long been known for its classic yellow variety, is test-marketing Creamy and Light “white” mustard (“an alternative to mayo,” a spokesperson explains). And Kraft Foods-owned Grey Poupon has not only brought back its beloved “Pardon me, would you have any…?” TV ads, it’s also mounted a social media campaign connecting quality mustard with a kind of refined, jet-setting lifestyle.

 

It’s not the kind of thing you could do with, say, good ol’ Heinz 57, Grey Poupon promoters insist. “I think mustard is more universal than ketchup…It’s more international,” says Sara Braun, a Kraft markeing director.

 

Put it all together and mustard equals money: The condiment raked in U.S. sales of $508 million in 2012 – an 11% jump since 2007, according to Mintel, a market researcher. True, mustard doesn’t quite measure up to ketchup in this country (ketchup sales hit $743 million in 2012). But most food industry insiders and experts believe that mustard is positioned to grow in popularity not only because it’s so global (the condiment, which can be traced back to the Romans, is popular in just about every culture and country, from Brazil to Great Britain), but also because it’s naturally healthy. As a new French’s ad campaign touts, “Farmers make our mustard zero calories, not scientists.”

Mustard is also versatile: Sure, it’s the classic topping to the hot dog that’s enjoyed at the ballpark or summer barbecue, but it can just as easily be paired with items ranging from roast beef to soft pretzels or used as a key ingredient in casseroles, dressings and other foodstuffs. Grey Poupon even suggests a turkey gravy for the holidays incorporating its mustard.

In short, it’s the condiment of the moment, says Alice Price Becker, the restaurateur behind the New York eatery Alison 18.

 

“Mustard is the new butter, the new mayo,” says Becker. “We are finding our guests asking for mustard for their bread and their fries.”

 

And as Becker’s experience attests, the condiment’s popularity goes beyond store shelves and home kitchens. Mustard is indeed finding its way into higher-end dining establishments. At the Public House at The Venetian in Las Vegas, executive chef Anthony Meidenbauer crafts his own bacon-onion mustard as a complement to some of his starters. At the Fairmount Chateau Whistler resort in Canada, mixologists serve a house cocktail rimmed with crushed mustard seeds. And at the newly opened Avant at San Diego’s Rancho Bernardo Inn, chef Nicolaus Bour is offering a house-made mustard on tap (just like beer, except in smaller quantities).

 

Bour says his inspiration came from a mustard maker in France who pioneered the tap idea. Right now, he’s serving his mustard with charcuterie, but he envisions offering a take-out version in refillable crocks. He says his patrons can hardly wait. “The mustard is flowing,” Bour says of business at the restaurant.

 

If there were a place where that flow is a veritable mustard monsoon, it would have to be theNational Mustard Museum, situated in Middleton, Wisc. (just two-and-half-hours from Chicago or “a mere 6,578 kilometers from Dijon, France,” as the museum touts on its website). Here, curatorBarry Levenson, a former Wisconsin assistant attorney general, presides over a showcase of more than 5,500 mustards from all 50 states and 70-plus counties. That is, when he’s not sending mustard by mail through his museum online store or planning the annual worldwide mustard competition (this year’s contest attracted nearly 300 entries).

 

Oh, and don’t forget National Mustard Day on Aug. 3. At the museum, that calls for a big party, highlighted by mustard custard – yes, mustard in ice cream. Barry Levenson says it tastes better than you might suspect. “People really line up for this,” he adds.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/yellow-commodity-hotter-gold-142810435.html


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