Dijon mustard: what makes it different?

Russian mustard uses powdered brown, or Sarepta, mustard, mixed with boiling water; volatile oils cause its nasal heat. Dijon smells gentler but tastes sharper and more even.

1. Soak brown mustard seeds, Brassica juncea, in verjuice, wine or vinegar with water and salt.
2. Grind, traditionally with stone mills, avoiding heat that removes pungency.
3. Sieve out husks, producing a smooth texture.
4. Rest for several days to balance flavours.

Pungent compounds form when ground seeds meet cold liquid. Do not add Dijon to boiling sauce: stir it in at the end, off the heat.

Many medieval towns made mustard, but Dijon, capital of the Dukes of Burgundy, regulated its mustard-makers by the 17th century. The recipe became famous and its name attached to the method.

In the 20th century, France defined Dijon mustard as a recipe, not a geographical origin. It can be made anywhere, so worldwide shops sell Dijon from many countries; France buys most seeds from Canada.

Moutarde de Bourgogne is different: IGP-protected since 2009, it requires Burgundy-grown seeds and Burgundy white wine, usually Aligoté. A more local mustard, with a wine note.

Verjuice, verjus or “green juice”, is acidic unripe grape juice. In the 18th–19th centuries, Dijon makers substituted it for vinegar, creating a gentler, finer mustard. The invention is often credited to Jean Naigeon in the mid-19th century. Not all makers still use it: many choose white wine or vinegar.

• Maille, an 18th-century house, has a Dijon shop serving mustard from taps, like beer.

• Fallot, Burgundy's last independent family mustard mill, in Beaune, since the mid-19th century, with stone grinding, a mustard museum and tours.
• Amora, a mass-market Dijon brand familiar to every French household.

Shops offer dozens besides the classic:

• Blackcurrant, cassis, slightly sweet, with duck and pâtés;

• Spiced bread, pain d'épices, with foie gras;
• Tarragon, basil and truffle;
• Honey and Chablis white wine;
• Marc de Bourgogne, grape spirit.

Keep open jars in the fridge: warmth reduces heat and darkens mustard. Remove a darkened surface layer. Good mustard keeps for several months after opening.

• Dijon: Maille on Rue de la Liberté and shops near Les Halles.

• Beaune: Fallot museum and shop.
• Markets: local producers.
• Supermarkets: cheaper Amora and Maille, without unusual flavours.

Read “Burgundy guide”.

Romans mixed ground seeds with young grape juice, mustum ardens, “burning must”, origin of the French word moutarde. Mustard arrived in Burgundy with Roman vines; monasteries grew it alongside grapes for centuries.

In medieval times it seasoned rich and poor people's meat and fish, replacing expensive eastern spices. The Dukes of Burgundy bought barrels. Legend says Pope John XXII in Avignon loved it so much he appointed a Dijon nephew “first mustard-maker to the pope”. Unproven, the story survives in “se croire le premier moutardier du pape”, meaning to think too highly of oneself.

In 1634, Dijon approved mustard- and vinegar-makers' rules, giving them exclusive production rights. Famous houses emerged in the 18th–19th centuries; mechanical grinding industrialised production in the 19th. In the 20th, Dijon production declined and historic factories closed or joined larger groups.

Heat requires brown mustard, Brassica juncea. After the Second World War, Burgundy farmers largely stopped growing it because returns were poor. Canada's vast prairies supplied cheap, reliable seeds; most French mustard seeds came from Canada.

In the 1990s, Burgundy farmers and makers decided to bring mustard home. They formed an association, sowed fields around Dijon and Beaune, and obtained Moutarde de Bourgogne IGP in 2009. Local seeds still trail imports but their share is growing. Recent Canadian droughts showed the value of local supply: French shops even experienced a mustard shortage in 2022.

It features in many dishes:

• Lapin à la moutarde: mustard-coated rabbit braised in white wine, with creamy sauce.

• Jambon persillé: parsley ham in jelly, hot mustard alongside.
• Poulet Gaston Gérard: chicken in mustard, Comté and cream sauce, a 20th-century Dijon dish.
• Morvan sausages, with mustard and potatoes.
• Gougères, cheese choux buns sometimes flavoured with mustard.
• Vinaigrette, which mustard keeps emulsified.

Pair mustard rabbit with white Aligoté or Chablis, and jambon persillé with light Pinot Noir.

Mustard is an inexpensive, light gift; cabin jars must be no larger than 100 ml, because it counts as liquid.

Burgundy's last independent family mustard mill offers tours: soaking, stone grinding and husk removal, freshly milled aroma and different flavours to taste. A short tour covers production; a longer one adds old tools, jars and 19th-century advertisements in the museum. Children enjoy turning hand mills.

Tours run in French and English, with booking especially important in summer. Beaune is the Côte de Beaune's wine capital, so combine mill, tasting, Hôtel-Dieu and a town walk.

The former ducal capital has other food stories. Kir, an apéritif born here from Aligoté white wine and blackcurrant liqueur, is named after Canon Félix Kir, its post-war mayor. Dijon has made spiced bread since the 18th century. The International City of Gastronomy and Wine opened in 2022, with exhibitions, cooking school and a cellar holding hundreds of Burgundy wines.

The Owl Trail, bronze pavement plaques, passes the main sights. The owl on Notre-Dame's wall is Dijon's symbol; stroking it with your left hand is said to grant a wish.

Classic kir mixes one part crème de cassis with five parts chilled Aligoté in a wine glass. With Champagne or Crémant, it is kir royal; with red wine, a cardinal. Burgundy's signature apéritif deserves a taste in Dijon.

Hot and acidic, mustard does not suit every wine. Tannic reds seem harsh; fresh whites work well. Choose white Burgundy, Aligoté, Chablis or Mâcon, for mustard sauce; light Pinot Noir or Beaujolais for sausages and ham. Wine is not usually matched to vinaigrette: vinegar and mustard clash with it, so French salads are often eaten separately after the main course, without wine then.

Soak 100 g brown mustard seeds for a day in 100 ml dry white wine, 50 ml white-wine vinegar and a pinch of salt. Blend smooth, adding cold water by the spoonful. Sieve for smoothness if desired. Refrigerate two to three days to reduce bitterness. The result is fresh, hot, additive-free mustard, keeping about a month in the fridge.

1. Adding mustard to boiling sauce. Heat disappears.
2. Keeping an open jar in a cupboard.
3. Thinking all Dijon is made in Dijon. It is a recipe.
4. Replacing Dijon one-for-one with Russian mustard. Russian mustard is sweeter with stronger nasal heat.
5. Skipping Burgundy IGP mustard. It has more wine character.

Our Burgundy wine tour includes Dijon and Beaune, stone-milled mustard, jambon persillé and mustard rabbit alongside Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune wines. → Burgundy wine tour · Burgundy guide