Mustard Is Really Ketchup

Mustard is a family of herbs that produces large lobed leaves, yellow flowers and seeds. The greens and seeds are both edible and come with a sharp, spicy flavor. The greens can be eaten as salad, sauteed or stewed while the seeds are usually ground into a powder. Mustard powder is then used as a spice or prepared into a condiment. When used as a condiment the mustard powder is mixed with vinegar and/or white wine and sometimes other flavoring like horseradish or honey.

Ketchup, everyone knows what it is. Its that delicious red sauce that so many people around the world really love. Ketchup is so recognizable and part of daily life that there is very little advertising done. Everyone knows what it is and wants some, at least some of the time. Some folks eat ketchup on everything. Others, like myself, enjoy ketchup but only with certain foods. Regardless, ketchup is a staple of the world kitchen.

What few people realize is that tomato ketchup is only one kind of ketchup. There are many kinds and mustard is one of them. I know I know, that sounds weird but it's true. Instead of saying pass the mustard and ketchup you should be saying pass the mustard ketchup and the tomato ketchup. The distinction between the two is something not many people would care about but I am food nerd at heart and find the topic fun and interesting.

In order to begin I will start with the definition of ketchup I found with Google. This is a blend of the top three returns: Ketchup, def A smooth, thick, tangy sauce made primarily from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar and spices. The definition from my culinary books ( I am a trained chef) say that ketchup is a condiment made primarily from a main vegetable based flavoring, vinegar, sugar and spices. The vegetable ingredient could be tomato, walnut, mushroom or any other of your choice.

Mustard is a condiment made from ground mustard seeds mixed with vinegar and other flavorings. Ketchup is a condiment made from a primary vegetable flavoring, vinegar and spices. So based on this revelation it is safe to say that mustard is really ketchup.

Where does ketchup come from? The answer is found way back in naval history like so many other great foods we love today. The story goes a little like this; European sailors on ships traveling to Asian ports discovered that the locals were eating a number of tangy, pungent sauces. The sailors, ever on the lookout for something better to eat than plain hard tack took to the sauces. One, called ke tsiap is the precursor to modern day ketchup. Ke Tsiap was a fermented fish based sauce very similar to today's fish sauce from Thailand, Viet Nam and other Southeast Asian countries.

Ingenious or perhaps just hungry sailors eventually began to make their own versions of ke tsiap. They made it from vinegar and flavored it with nuts, fruits, mushrooms or whatever else they had on hand. Over time ke tsiap made its way back to the Old World and into the New World where it really took root. Today ketchup is most widely known in its tomato form but also comes in a number of other varieties.

Ketchup is fairly simple to make. In essence any flavored vinegar is technically a ketchup but I think there is a certain thickness to the sauce that really distinguishes it from other sauces. ketchup must be smooth and free of chunks or any other bits. Once the basic sauce is made, usually by soaking or stewing the flavoring ingredient in vinegar, it is then put through a food mill or food processor to make a fine puree.

Here are some more variations on my whole grain mustard recipe.

• Replace White Wine With Bourbon For Bourbon Mustard
• Add 2 tbls honey for a tangy honey mustard,
• Add 2 Chipotle peppers with Adobo sauce for Spicy Smokey Chili Mustard
• Add 1 Tbls Caraway Seeds for a great Sandwich mustard
• Add 2 TBLS prepared horseradish

This recipe makes a delicious whole grain Dijon style mustard. It is easy to make and with practice can be turned into a unique, signature condiment from your kitchen. Two things to remember is 1: The longer you process the mustard the smoother it will get but it will never be completely smooth and 2: The mustard will become less strong if you let it sit uncovered, the longer it sits before sealing the milder it will become.

Ingredients are simple: 1 cup of dry white wine like sauvgnon blanc. I recommend a French wine because many of the New World SB's are too citrusy for this mustard. Also, 1 cup of white wine vinegar, 2 ounces of yellow mustard seeds and 2 ounces of brown mustard seeds.

To prepare: Mix all ingredients in a stainless steel, ceramic or other non reactive bowl, cover and allow to sit for 2-3 days. The length of time for this step can be adjusted, different lengths of time can affect the nuances in the finished product. After sitting in the fridge put all ingredients in the food processor and blend until you reach the desired consistency. I like mine to be chunky and only pulse the mixture until the seeds are all broken. If your mustard is too thick simply add a little vinegar or wine.