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I thought I bought mustard, but when I put it on a hot dog and ate it, it didn't taste like mustard. It irritated my nose and sent a shockwave through my skull. So I bought a different brand, but there was not much difference. I feel that irritating, tingling sensation rippling through my head whenever I take a bite. I think it's yellow mustard, the label says "table mustard". I don't recall having this reaction when eating mustard from McDonald's.

Kat
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Robert Tattorn
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  • Yes, it was hot/spicy – Robert Tattorn Jan 23 '19 at 17:28
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    Was is similar to horseradish? I think the two current answers are probably spot on. – Matthew Read Jan 23 '19 at 19:17
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    "Mustard" can mean a variety of things, from cheap yellow McDonalds mustard all the way to a condiment so powerful that people *literally likened chemical weapons exposure to consuming it,* hence the name "mustard gas." Sounds like you got something closer to that side of the spectrum. – Mason Wheeler Jan 23 '19 at 20:42
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    Can you post pictures or links to the bottles of irritating mustards? – rrauenza Jan 23 '19 at 23:37
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    I'm not sure McDonald's mustard actually qualifies as such. – GdD Jan 24 '19 at 12:51
  • Ok, I bought the correct mustard this time, labelled as "mildly spiced" with a hot dog picture on it. I didn't knw there were very hot varieties. – Robert Tattorn Jan 25 '19 at 14:16
  • @alephzero don't insult custard - that stuff's delicious. (It's called "English cream" in french for a reason!) – UKMonkey Jan 25 '19 at 17:42
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    @GdD Er, why not? I get that you're just making a joke, but McDonald's mustard is certainly mustard. It's standard yellow mustard. `Ingredients: Distilled Vinegar, Water, Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric, Paprika, Spice Extractive.` That's how you make yellow mustard. It's not like they put anything weird in it... it's literally just mustard. – user91988 Jan 25 '19 at 17:59
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    There are US brands of mustard that actually contain horseradish and can be pretty hot. Really good (hot) horseradish will hit your sinuses and may induce tears. These mustards are a regional thing, to my knowledge but with the expansion of Wegmans, these could be more available nationally. – JimmyJames Jan 25 '19 at 19:07
  • @only_pro... well, round here standard yellow (English) mustard is: white and brown mustard (seed) powder, plus water. (Some people use a mixture of milk or vinegar to tame it somewhat). So McDonalds is a mustard but not the standard mustard. (I'd go so far as to say I never realised it was supposed to be mustard, it's so mild) –  Jan 26 '19 at 12:04
  • It would be very helpful to know what country you are in and what brands of mustard you are talking about. The answers below are making guesses, but you could very easily supply us with concrete information about which products, specifically, you are talking about. – J... Jan 26 '19 at 12:41
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    I find McDonalds mustard incredibly sweet, not much to it bar sugar, colour and a teeny bit of _mustardness_, not like most mustard products I have tried previously. – ggdx Jan 26 '19 at 18:27
  • I know it's technically mustard @only_pro, it just doesn't taste like it, very weak, just turns things yellow really. – GdD Jan 27 '19 at 09:41
  • @GdD It *does* taste like mustard. It tastes like yellow mustard. Other types of mustard taste different, and that's OK. – user91988 Jan 28 '19 at 17:42
  • @ggdx There is no sugar in McDonald's mustard. It contains nothing that would make it taste sweet (at least in the US...). I'm confused. It tastes pretty much like any other yellow American mustard. Are you sure you're not talking about their ketchup? – user91988 Jan 28 '19 at 17:44

4 Answers4

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As a straight answer to "why" it's the quantity of mustard oil in any given mustard type.

There are many types of mustard, but the two you may find the most confusing visually are English & American.

Though both are a fairly bright yellow in colour, that's about as far as the similarity goes.

Mustard seeds themselves come in many different 'heats' - the mildest generally being pale yellow, almost white & the strongest are dark brown.
Additionally, mixing mustard with vinegar tempers the heat & lengthens the shelf-life.
Mixing instead with pure water increases the punch, but the flavours will dissipate over a much shorter period.

American mustard is one of the mildest available. It starts with a mild seed, pale yellow/white in colour, but the colour is then boosted by using turmeric. The mixture is then diluted with vinegar.
This is your 'standard' mild American mustard, found in many places, including McDonald's. You can slather it in huge quantities on a hot dog with no ill-effects.

Almost at the other end of the scale [Chinese mustard can be even hotter] is English. Made with a mixture of yellow & brown mustard seed, then mixed with water not vinegar, this will take the roof of your nose out if used in injudicious quantities. It can quite literally make your eyes water & your nose run - though if you did it by accident, take solace in the fact that the hit is very short-lived, not like eating a blindingly hot chilli pepper.
The full impact & flavour of English mustard is quite short-lived even in the jar, once made up from powdered mustard. Even ready-made, store-bought has quite a short shelf-life for a condiment. Made at home & mixed with water it will lose its punch in just a few days, so the trick is to buy powder & mix it just 15 minutes before you eat it, for the full experience.

If you're ever uncertain visually which you are about to add - taste it first.

Personally I love English mustard on hot dogs! With ketchup too [one of the only things I will ever put ketchup on]. The balance between the sweet, vinegary ketchup & the hard hit of the mustard is really quite the feast. Bring on the junk food!

There is an in-depth article on the various types at Serious Eats - Mustard Manual: Your Guide to Mustard Varieties

Tetsujin
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    I swear English mustard can remove paint, it's good stuff but a little goes a looong way. – GdD Jan 24 '19 at 12:50
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    American? It's Bavarian! ;) – henning Jan 24 '19 at 13:16
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    Once, many years ago, we had a visitor from the US who asked for mustard to put on his steak. He was unaware of the potency of English mustard and proceeded to put nearly a teaspoonful on a single bite sized piece of meat. We tried politely to warn him of the likely effects but... The effects were spectacular and it required nearly a jugful of water to put out the fire. The hardest part was not laughing as he was an important customer. – uɐɪ Jan 24 '19 at 15:58
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    I never thought I'd eat something that'd make me want a hotdog, but this did :D – djsmiley2kStaysInside Jan 24 '19 at 16:16
  • +1 for this good answer thank you! But you were close to getting a -1 for putting ketchup on hot dogs ... at the last moment I realized that was just a personal comment of yours and not the informative part of the answer so I relented. FYI: [The only _correct_ point of view on ketchup + hot dogs.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5JIpT4GkyM) – davidbak Jan 25 '19 at 21:22
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"English mustard" is also yellow and very very different from typical American yellow mustard as I've encountered it with hot dogs or burgers (French's, for example). A smear of something like Colman's (a typical hot English mustard) has about as much flavour as a spoonful of hot dog yellow mustard.

What you describe is typical for when you think you picked up a mild mustard and it was actually a hot one. It's a mean trick we pay on foreign visitors in the UK (not deliberately). I suspect you're bought a similar product, though I don't know where you are. The heat is different to chilli heat, felt much more in your nose or sinuses than chillies.

Dijon mustard is somewhere in between. A brand available in the US is apparently "Grey Poupon" (originally from France). The Wikipedia article on mustard has more details.

If it is the case that you've bought something hotter than you expect, you can either use it sparingly or dilute it with something of a similar texture - mixing it with ketchup would work if you like both on your hotdog.

Chris H
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    How much is a "smear" and how big are your spoons? When preparing hot dogs, I typically take a spoonful of mustard and smear it on the dog, so it's very unclear to me what your first paragraph is meant to indicate in terms of relative flavour. – jmbpiano Jan 23 '19 at 23:26
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    @jmbpiano it was meant to be illustrative rather than a measurement. But let's say something like 1/2 tsp of English mustard on the tip of a knife and spread evenly would be appropriate for a ham sandwich or one sausage, vs a tablespoon of French's (or a generous teaspoon of Dijon). My French's is in a squeezy bottle but if I spoon out similar mustard from a jar I'll probably lick the spoon. Definitely not with the others. – Chris H Jan 24 '19 at 06:57
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    If you want to dilute it use yogurt. It keeps the colour and texture and makes it much milder. – RedSonja Jan 24 '19 at 11:51
  • I understand that you were attempting to be illustrative. I was attempting to illustrate why your illustration was unclear. I'm not asking you to quantitatively answer my questions, I'm suggesting that your first paragraph doesn't actually help all that much and your answer would be improved by reworking (or possibly even removing) it. As it now stands, it's not even clear until the second paragraph which product (French's or Colman's) is meant to be milder, and then only by elimination, assuming that Colman's (which I'm unfamiliar with) is something one would find in the UK. – jmbpiano Jan 24 '19 at 14:20
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    @jmbpiano I invite you to downvote if you disagree that in the context of condiments any reading other than "a smear is much less than a spoonful" is daft. You do raise a good point about fo those unfamiliar with Colman's which I'll address – Chris H Jan 24 '19 at 15:20
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    @ChrisH When dressing a plate for a meal at a restaurant, a "smear" of condiment or sauce is usually a full teaspoon of it, placed on the plate, and then run through with the back of the spoon so that between half and a quarter of it is drawn out into a 'tail'. So, a "smear" and a "spoonful" would be equivalent amounts, with differing presentations – Chronocidal Jan 24 '19 at 15:34
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    @Chronocidal OK, I've never come across "smear" as a noun describing that presentation, let alone the quantity. As a verb "smear a spoonful of sauce across the plate", yes. – Chris H Jan 24 '19 at 15:38
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    To my mind, a 'smear' is about how much butter the army puts on bread; barely enough that it shows. The same for a strong mustard - as little as you can achieve with the end of a knife. I've never heard it to describe any kind of 'lavish' quantity. if you start with a spoon, you have a 'dollop' [to not be hugely technical ;) which you can then smear - ie spread in a thinner layer over a larger area. – Tetsujin Jan 24 '19 at 16:13
  • @Tetsujin I wonder if this is yet another surprising US/UK difference (you're in the UK aren't you?) – Chris H Jan 24 '19 at 16:22
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    Yes, I'm UK - & no, it wouldn't surprise me ;-)) We really are two countries separated by one language in many many circumstances :) These are what I call the "bum/tramp/hobo" moments. – Tetsujin Jan 24 '19 at 16:23
  • @Tetsujin I'm in the UK - could be a regional thing, but I've always known that amount of butter as a "scrape" (as in, "scrape it on, scrape it off, and use it on the next slice"). As for the "smear" of sauce thing - blame too much time spent watching Masterchef! – Chronocidal Jan 24 '19 at 16:27
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Here in Germany, mustard is sold in a variety of "grades".

The mildest variety is called "sweet mustard" or "Bavarian sweet mustard" (süß/Bayrisch süß), it is usually dark/brown in color and only roughly ground.

Then come mild - medium hot (mittelscharf) - hot (scharf) - extra hot (extra scharf). These are usually (but not always) also finer ground.

There is quite some variation in color from pale beige over yellow to darkish brown or even with a reddish tint.

  • You can not conclude hotness from color, though.
  • Nor from grinding/grain size.
  • Also, while a few brands are specialized on some end of the hotness scale, many sell a wide variety, e.g. brand Löwensenf has products ranging from sweet and honey mustard all the way to extra strong and chili mustard. Bautzner goes from sweet to strong. And so on.
  • The grade is writting on the package
  • If not, the local default is medium (mittelschaf)

Bonus material:

Spicy hotness/pungencyy in German is called "Schärfe" (literally sharpness) and the same word is also used for images being in focus. There was a IMHO really cool ad a while ago for medium hot mustard (Senf mittelscharf) with a slightly blurry (= not really scharf, only mittelscharf) picture of a mustard tube. Senf mittelscharf

cbeleites unhappy with SX
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    Thomy? EGADS. Löwensenf! Careful with *their* extrascharf, though, that stuff rivals english mustard. – rackandboneman Jan 24 '19 at 22:43
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    @rackandboneman: Well, I admit I do I distinguish between ads that are funny to look at which does not imply anything about mustard brands and varieties I eat and buy... But I do say that Thommy had the ad to look at ;-) – cbeleites unhappy with SX Jan 24 '19 at 22:54
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    I missed an irony smile here :) Though I kind of ... resent the idea of a brand that makes medium quality condiments of all kinds, for brand name prices, to represent german mustard :) – rackandboneman Jan 24 '19 at 22:57
  • mustard comes in _tubes_? – davidbak Jan 25 '19 at 21:17
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    @davidbak: For quite a number of brands you can choose whether you want to have it in a tube or glass (e.g. the Löwnsenf extrascharf mentioned above). Glass is obviously better if you want to get out the mustard by spoon, but the tube leaves less area exposed to air after opening and you can be sure noone sticks a dirty knife in leaving food rests that spoil soon. The standard medium mustards are also sold in larger plastic bottles and buckets (I've seen up to 10 kg). You'll see them at hot dog/Bratwurst/BBQ stands (e.g. Biergarten) or also at your local sports club near the BBQ place. – cbeleites unhappy with SX Jan 26 '19 at 11:08
  • Thomy pack all condiments in tubes, except ketchup: Mustard, remoulade, mayonnaise, horseradish... since they have done so for a long time, all practical jokes regarding substitution of toothpaste or marital aids have probably already gotten boring decades ago. – rackandboneman Jan 26 '19 at 21:21
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Any type of mustard contains poisonous substances, as every plant, to protect it from being eaten by insects and other animals. Some people tolerate more, some less. It depends on ones state of health, specially if one has a lack of body fluid and other substances to cushion aggressive substances, it feels irritating.

Pilso
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    this is interesting, as for the fact of people downvoting you.... they are clueless. – DeerSpotter Jan 25 '19 at 13:48
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    @DeerSpotter I downvoted this answer because while it explains why mustard is hot in the first place, it doesn't provide any useful advise for the OP for how to tell how hot different kinds of mustard are. Also "mustard contains poisonous substances" implies that eating mustard is harmful, which is wrong (unless you are an insect). – Philipp Jan 25 '19 at 16:05
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    Funny that the most to the point answer is getting down voted :)) plus 1 if chemistry matters – Alchimista Jan 25 '19 at 18:33
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    @Philipp saying that mustards contain poisonus substances and mustard is harmful are two different things. Mustards contain at least a poison but mustards are not harmful. That allyl isothiocyanate is a lachrimator explains the OP symptoms much that listing various types of mustards. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allyl_isothiocyanate – Alchimista Jan 25 '19 at 18:43
  • @Alchimista people are so brain dead they need more details... Chemistry does matter. – DeerSpotter Jan 25 '19 at 19:02
  • @Alchimista By that logic, everything is poison. Find me something I can eat that doesn't have an LD50. Being dramatic with terminology like this is not constructive. Liquorice is deadlier than mustard and it tastes like candy. Birds eat capsaicin and it's not an irritant to them. The logic here is fundamentally broken. – J... Jan 26 '19 at 12:52
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    I don't see anything broken.If a ridiculous extension of Paracelsus principle is carried out then you can be right. However you can't fabricate tear gas granade with sugar but with onions yes. OP dislike mustard not because is English or dijon or whatever. But because that molecule is there, at first The same if coffee gives you tachycardia. Caffeine is there and is quite a poison. I don't want to claim that mustard and coffee are poisonous, tough. I really don't see what is wrong in the answer beside the reference to the current state of health of the taster. – Alchimista Jan 26 '19 at 13:28
  • @Alchimista The point is that the toxicity of the chemical is largely irrelevant. Plenty of things are extreme irritants but are not terribly potent toxins or poisons. By the same token, plenty of plant-based chemicals are extremely poisonous and are not irritants at all. Bringing up toxicity is just running off in the wrong direction. – J... Jan 26 '19 at 15:49
  • It is fine for me. Try to do this with mayonnaise or ketchup, by the way: https://www.botanical-online.com/english/mustard-toxicity.htm. :) – Alchimista Jan 26 '19 at 17:48
  • Tomato is in the nightshade family, and mayo is WAY more likely to kill you than either. – Alex H. Jan 28 '19 at 16:10