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For a behind-the-scenes look at mustard as it is made and sold in Dijon, France, we start at the Maille retail outlet on Dijon’s historic Rue de la Liberte.
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Maille is a famous name in high quality mustard, both in France and Canada, but only at this store, and at the Maille boutique in Paris, can you get freshly made classic Dijon mustard in a refillable traditionally-shaped mustard pot.
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Of course, there are plenty of other mustards made by Maille, including ones flavoured, from top to bottom, with balsamic vinegar, Cognac, Cassis (black currant liqueur) and basil. Grainy mustard, ground in such a way as to leave some of the seeds in the blend, is one of Maille’s most renowned mustards.
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At the Maille mustard factory located at Chevigny Saint-Sauveur, a few minutes drive from downtown Dijon, wooden tanks of naturally made vinegar age. Vinegar is one of the principal ingredients of mustard, and its quality is as important as the other main ingredient, brown mustard seeds grown in the Canadian Prairies. Cleaning the mustard seeds is the first step in making mustard.
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Factory Director Jean-Marie Hummel shows the brown mustard seeds as they finish soaking in salt and water, the stage that softens and plumps the seeds and readies them for mixing with vinegar and salt.
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A special cutting process grinds the seeds. Then, once the hulls are screened out, a golden stream of mustard flows into holding tanks where the mustard matures for up to 3 days to ensure consistent piquancy. A fully mechanized packing line is designed to make sure that each jar of mustard is perfect and ready to open and enjoy.
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Dijon is an eating town, and located in Burgundy, possibly the most famous wine region of France, and Niagara and the the Okanagan not withstanding, of the world, there’s no lack of restaurants for every purse and occasions.
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Dijon boasts an excellent central market “Les Halles” designed by Gustave Eiffel of Paris tower fame. Surrounding the market are food shops and restaurants, here Bistrot des halles where traditional Burgundian food is the specialty that attracts a full house lunch and dinner.
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Jambon au Persil with a salad and grainy mustard garnish, and the famous Burgundian “escargots” drenched in butter and garlic (shown below) are memorable choices at Bistrot des halles.
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The famous Burgundian “escargots” drenched in butter and garlic.
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Depending on the season, the fresh fruits and vegetables available in the market area include artichokes, wild mushrooms, glossy chestnuts, bunches of thick white asparagus, punnets of strawberries and raspberries.
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It takes more than a day to explore historic Dijon, its museums, cathedral, palace and its approximately 100 grand residences called “hotels particuliers” or town houses. All built before the Revolution, their usual form is an outside wall and entry that shelters the interior courtyard from the street. The entrance to the actual house is gracious. Behind the house are the formal gardens, for the eyes and pleasure of only the occupants.
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