National Mustard Day

Five Food Finds about Mustard

  • Mustard is one of the world’s most ancient spices and oldest known condiments.
  • The name, mustard, comes from the Latin words “mustum ardens”, which means “burning wine” and refers to the flavor created by the spicy heat of the crushed mustard seeds mixed with the juice of unfermented wine grapes.
  • It is believed that mustard was first cultivated in India around 3000 BC, and later taken to Britain by the Romans who used it as a condiment and pickling spice.
  • Mustard was so enjoyed by the Romans that when they moved into Gaul (present day France) they took the mustard seed with them and planted it in the region of Burgundy.
  • The French mastered the making of mustard, and by the ninth century French monasteries were bringing in considerable income from mustard preparations.

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1850 Henry-Rene-Albert-Guy de Maupassant was born. Among the subjects of his short stories are many about the fashionable life of Paris.

1858 Alexis Benoit Soyer died. French chef and author. Chef of the London Reform Club. He opened kitchens in Ireland during the famine to sell food at 1/2 price and was an advisor on food to the British army during the Crimean War. Invented several stoves and kitchen utensils. Wrote ‘The Pantropheon; or, History of Food’ (1853), ‘A Shilling Cookery Book for the People’ (1854), ‘Soyer’s Charitable Cookery’ (1847).

1909 The first corporation tax was passed by the U.S. Congress.

1914 The first electric traffic lights were installed in Cleveland, Ohio at Euclid Ave and East 105th Street.

1955 Carmen Miranda died. Brazilian singer and actress.  Miranda appeared in many Hollywood movies, and was known as “the Brazilian bombshell” and also “the lady in the tutti-frutti hat.”

1962 Marilyn Monroe died. American actress, primarily remembered as being crowned Artichoke Queen of 1947 in Castroville, California.

2008 IBM is granted a patent for storing a customers preference for ‘paper or plastic bags’ on the stores customer loyalty card. Does this really deserve a patent?! Our patent system is definitely out of control.