Cutting the Mustard

Gastropod

Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

Science, Food, History, Arts

4.7 • 3.5K Ratings

🗓️ 27 February 2018

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

For some Americans, a trip to the ballpark isn’t complete without the bright yellow squiggle of French’s atop a hotdog. For the French, the slow burn of Dijon is a must-have complement to charcuterie. In the U.K., Sunday’s roast beef is nothing without the punch of Colman’s. Yet few realize that this condiment has been equally essential—maybe more so—for the past 6,000 years. In fact, the first spice that we know prehistoric humans used to pep up their dinners is none other than mustard. But why is the sale of mustard oil for consumption banned in the U.S., Europe, and Canada, despite the fact it’s used by millions of people around the world nearly every day? Listen in now for the answer to that mustard mystery and dozens more, including how mustard got its heat, and why we have caterpillars to thank for its particular taste profile. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	So I'm Rose Ebolith, I'm the host of Flash Forward, which is a podcast about the future,
0:07.7	but more importantly, I am a very huge fan of mustard.
0:11.4	And you and I were actually talking about this, I don't know a year or two ago, and you
0:14.9	were like, you have to do an episode on mustard.
0:16.8	So why are you obsessed with mustard?
0:19.5	So it's funny in thinking about this call that we were going to have, I figured you
0:24.1	would ask me that question and I realized that I don't have a great answer.
0:27.9	I mean, it is objectively the best condiment, but that's not the best answer.
0:32.4	I mean, it's just really delicious.
0:34.0	It goes on everything.
0:35.8	But I wanted you all to do an episode on it because I am a fan of mustard and I consume
0:42.0	a very large quantity of mustard, probably an embarrassing amount of mustard, but I don't
0:46.4	actually know that much about how mustard is made.
0:49.2	Like, I'm familiar that there is a mustard plant and a mustard seed, but what actually
0:53.0	makes different mustard's different is actually sort of a mystery to me.
0:57.2	I just eat them.
0:58.2	I don't know that much about them.
0:59.2	That's what we're here for is to do the Googling you copy bother to do.
1:03.3	Exactly.
1:04.3	I'm too lazy.
1:05.3	I need an episode of Gastropod.
1:07.3	Fortunately, Cynthia and I are not lazy at all ever in any way.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.