Maille Mustard is Spice & Everything Nice

I've always loved mustard. When I say mustard, I'm not talking about that run-of-the-mill yellow sunshine version. I mean mustard. 

Spicy, brown, seeded - delicious. Even when I was little, I couldn't get enough of it. Mustard sandwiches were a favorite of mine. That spicy, dark yellow concoction spread between tiny pieces of baby rye bread was just perfection.

Why? I'm not really sure. Was it the spice? Perhaps. The vinegar? Could be - I'm a lover of vinegar too. Something about this perfect combination of flavors had me hooked early on and I just didn't know exactly why.

As I got older I discovered so many different brands and varieties. I couldn't believe the mustard world that was opening up but nothing compared to the heavenly goldmine I found when I was in Paris a few years ago.

Perfect bread for mustard Sammies

It was an accident really. We were strolling along the Place de la Madeleine and there it was. Store number 6. Mustard Heaven. Or more commonly known as Maille.

I didn't realize that Paris could get even more perfect. They had their own mustard store. An entire store. Le Maison Maille, it's official name, has been producing for more than 267 years.

Started by Antoine Maille in 1747, he began selling vinegar and mustard and later attracted the attention of King Louis XV. He became the official supplier of the King and other monarchs of Europe. If it's good enough for Kings then it's good enough for me.

We walked in to walls and walls of bottled beauties beckoning to us. I didn't know where to begin. What's more perfect than mustard? French mustard. I headed to the counter. I saw beautiful porcelain jars. Specialty jars for the limited edition mustards.

Then I saw it. The tastings. Mustard tastings. Perfection. There were so many to taste that we really could have been there all day. And night.

I remained calm and chose just a few. Each one was better than the next. We made our selections and moved along. We bid farewell to our boutique and knew we'd have to come back someday.

Then, one day, Paris came to me. With mustard. As I walked down the street, I saw a new store getting ready to open and there it was. A sign. Not just any sign, but the sign. "Maille - Opening Soon". What??  Just two blocks from my office? I knew it was fate.

Won these at the giveaway

Mustard tastings and sampling mustard are just a few of the perks of being close to the store. There's Black Truffle and Chablis, Sauternes, Dijon with White Wine and they all come with the ceramic stoneware jar. Those are just the flavors at the pump.

Besides the dozens of other mustard flavors to choose from, they also offer many other goods as well. Balsamic vinegar, fruit vinegar, white wine vinegar, olive oils, cornichons and my favorite - the mustard spoon. Ideal for reaching that last little bit at the bottom of the jar so no mustard goes to waste. And no mustard should go to waste.


To learn more about Maille, you can visit their website:
http://www.maille.com/en_US/mustards/mustard-on-tap/

Maille Paris:
https://www.maille.com/en_US/boutiques?sid=paris

Maille NYC:
https://www.maille.com/en_US/boutiques?sid=new_york