National Mustard Day, Saturday, August 6th  

Just saw this mentioned on Chowhound, along with mention of the Mustard Museum (http://www.mustardmuseum.com/), located 20 miles southwest of Madison. The website has a large mustard selection for your tasting pleasure--I hear you get samples at the museum. Anyone been to the place?

veghead wrote:Mustard Museum
<snip>
Anyone been to the place?

Veghead,

I've been to the Mustard Museum a few times, incredible variety of mustard to both sample and purchase. Owner is a high energy hoot and the area in general is very nice. Well worth a visit.

When you visit the Mustard Museum I'd also suggest stopping at Baumgartner Cheese Store and Tavern in Monroe, about 30-miles from Mount Horeb. A real old time Wisconsin tavern with a good selection of local cheese, beer and an interesting mix of customers. The first time I was there I had read the Limburger Baumgartner serves was really over the top, smells like sweatsocks left in your locker for the whole football season etc. Well, this was no exaggeration.

I was with my wife, sister and two of my, then younger, nieces, and I think I was the only one in the whole place who ordered a limburger and onion, not even a slice of braunschweiger to help offset the limburger. We could smell the limburger, which they serve quite ripe, as soon as it came out of the kitchen, man o man, was this strong, I took one bite and thought I would pass out, but it was actually quite tasty, once you got control of your gag reflex. I ate the whole sandwich, passed on another, and have ordered something else on subsequent visits to Baumgartner, but it was a heck of an experience.

In addition to the mural of 'the battle of the sprits, Baumgartner also has murals of the Swiss Alps, it's a fun place to visit.

Enjoy,
Gary

Baumgartner Cheese Store and Tavern
Town Square
Monroe, Wisconsin
608-325-6157

Mount Horeb Mustard Museum
P.O. Box 468
100 West Main Street
Mount Horeb, WI 53572
800-438-6878

[quote=
G Wiv wrote: When you visit the Mustard Museum I'd also suggest stopping at Baumgartner Cheese Store and Tavern in Monroe ...I was the only one in the whole place who ordered a limburger and onion...
[/quote]

You, sir, are now my husband's hero. He LOVES stinky cheese and with this new info, I can now spend my many hours perusing the LTH site w/o him thinking I'm a little cuckoo. We'll definitely try out this place along with the Mustard Museum on our next WI trip.

And as long as you're enjoying the chow fruits of the area, stop in at the New Glarus microbrewery. Thougfully crafted, kind of malty microbrews.

http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/

Giovanna

I found some GREAT bargains on antiques in Mt. Horeb, too. A side soujourn there and to New Glarus from Madison makes for a wonderful weekend. The very nice fellow who runs the Mustard Museum, a lapsed lawyer, is the SW Wisconsin version of Hot Doug.

Hmmmm....they should really get together, come to think of it....

My mother and I went a couple years ago (I go to school in Madison). It's small, but the gift shop is insane. I never knew there were that many types of mustard and you can pretty much sample any of them before you buy. I think we ate lunch at some place called The Grumpy Troll or something about trolls...anyway, it was pretty decent brewpub food.

Well worth visiting, and the area is really interesting geologically--a transition between the moraine area to the East-Northeast and the "driftless" area (read: no moraines) to the West-Northwest (towards Mineral Point, etc.).

It's also really easy in that part of Wisco to get off even the US highways and use dead reckoning on the county roads. It is one of my favorite places to show easterners the midwest.

Once, while driving with my brother, sister-in-law, and their 10 month old daughter (who learned to walk on this trip, I am convinced to this day it was out of sheer frustration from spending so much time in the car. I can't testify to what she did from DC to Chicago, but from Chicago to Delavan she shrieked, yes SHRIEKED the entire way, then she learned to walk once we got her out of the car, been running ever since).

Anyway, I digress. We actually got the child back into the car to take a picnic to a local county park. We drove due west, about this time of year, and saw so many voles, and the corn was so high, everyone was just overwhelmed with the grandeur of it all. At one point a helicopter descended and landed about 350-500 yards from us (about a cornfield away) and it just disappeared.

Then when we arrived at the park, which had limestone bluffs and streams and plenty of shade, my brother and SIL started talking about moving to the Midwest. They're here now.

On the way, we passed a couple of topless joints. That part of Wisco is famous for roadhouses, topless, etc., dating from Prohibition. Every county's regs are different, like in some counties you can't have naked women and serve liquor, must serve "mocktails."

So it's almost like Oklahoma, where you get places named "First Chance, Last Chance" right on the county line. But with what some would consider entertainment.

Are you a good judge of mustard?

2103 Mustard Competition Judges Needed

Entries are arriving daily at the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin for the 2013
World-Wide Mustard Competition (details at http://mustardmuseum.com/2013-world-wid ... mpetition/
). It takes several sessions and many panels of judges to find the winning mustards, and we are inviting you to
participate as a mustard judge this year.

There are 16 categories of mustard to be tasted and scored. You will help determine the Gold, Silver, and Bronze
medal winners for each category. Examples of categories are Honey, Dijon, Spirit, Hot Pepper, and Exotic
mustards, as well as mustard-based Dressings and BBQ Sauces.

As a judge, you will be asked to sample more than 50 mustards and mustard-based sauces at one sitting!
The judging panels will include food professionals such as chefs, food writers, cookbook authors, restaurant
critics, "foodies" and some regular folks with discerning palates. It's a little work and a lot of fun. This is a blind
tasting and the only rule is that you must finish scoring any category that you start, and, of course, that you love
mustard.

Judging will occur at the National Mustard Museum under the direction of Museum Curator Barry Levenson.

First Round - Sunday, March 24, 2013

Second Round - Sunday, April 7, 2013 from Noon – 4:00

from Noon - 4:00

On both days, we'll break mid-way through the afternoon for snacks & schmoozing. Please let me know ASAP
if you can participate on either or both Sundays. Also, please pass this along to your mustard-loving friends and
colleagues. All available judges, please contact me via email at plevenson@mustardmuseum.com, by
phone at the Museum, 608-831-2222 or on my cell at 608-444-5280.

Please note that Patti Bridges, our Operations Manager, is helping to coordinate the judging panels so you may
be receiving reminders from her, and she is available to answer your questions.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Patti Levenson (aka Mrs. Mustard )

Director of Marketing
NATIONAL MUSTARD MUSEUM
7477 Hubbard Avenue
Middleton, WI 53562
800-438-6878 608-831-2222

www.mustardmuseum.com

The National Mustard Museum is a 501(c)3 non profit organization.

I will be there this coming weekend.

Regards,

We have enjoyed several visits to Barry Levenson's National Mustard Museum, always including a visit to Baumgartner's grocery and deli for the fabulous Limburger sandwiches with a thick slice of onion and a lot of spicy mustard. Once you're past the aroma(!), they are just delicious. Last time we were at the Museum I came away with some $75 worth (a LOT) of mustard. The place is hard to resist.

Barry used to write an occasional newsletter: see if you can run down the piece in which he described the reaction of his quintessential Jewish mother (his description) when he informed her the he, her son the lawyer and highly-regarded prosecutor in the Wisconsin State's Attorney's Office, was leaving the law to start... a mustard museum. It is just hysterically funny.

The contest should be a hoot.

I can't find the past issues of the newsletter, but apparently in 2003, he decided to ease his mother's broken heart by getting his license back.

You’re Invited To Help Select the 2013 Grand Champion Mustard

Almost 300 mustards from 8 countries and 23 U.S. states were sent to the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin for entry into the 19th Annual World-Wide Mustard Competition (see details at http://mustardmuseum.com/2013-world-wid ... mpetition/). It takes several sessions and many panels of judges to find the winning mustards. All mustard judging occurs under the direction of Mustard Museum Curator Barry Levenson.

The first round of judging took place here at the National Mustard Museum on March 24th, and the Medal Round happened just yesterday. Once those scores are tallied, the 16 first place winning mustards of each flavor category will advance to the Grand Champion round where judges will rank them against each other to determine the 2013 overall top mustard. Examples of categories are Honey, Dijon, Spirit, Hot Pepper, and Exotic mustards, as well as mustard-based Dressings and BBQ Sauces. The purpose is to find the best of the best of 2013.

We are inviting Milwaukee area food industry professionals including chefs, food writers, restaurant critics and known mustard-lovers as our guests to help determine the Grand Champion Mustard. Please join us this Sunday, April 14th, between 1:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon at the Milwaukee Public Market for the tasting and scoring. Here are the details on the Market’s web site http://www.milwaukeepublicmarket.org/ca ... vents.html. This round of judging could be done in 30 minutes, but we hope you’ll stay a while and visit with us, as well as shop the Market afterwards.


GRAND CHAMPION ROUND – Sunday, April 14, 2013 1:00-3:00pm at the
Milwaukee Public Market in the Historic Third Ward*
*Parking is free

All available judges, please contact me via email at plevenson@mustardmuseum.com, by phone at the Mustard Museum, 608-831-2222 or on my cell at 608-444-5280 to be sure we have you on our complimentary guest list.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Patti Levenson (aka Mrs. Mustard )

Director of Marketing
NATIONAL MUSTARD MUSEUM
7477 Hubbard Avenue
Middleton, WI 53562
800-438-6878 608-831-2222
www.mustardmuseum.com The National Mustard Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization

Barry is going to be on TV tonight. From his newsletter

Mrs. Mustard says to the Curator, "Do not even mention the fact that you're going to be on the TLC network show 'My Crazy Obsession' tomorrow night." She goes on: "Under no circumstances are you to tell anyone that it will air on Wednesday night, April 24, at 10:00 EDT (9:00 CDT)."

@Patti and/or Cathy -

Well, what were the results of the competition??

Also, since I unfortunately missed the TLC program, is there to be a re-broadcast or, is it available to view on the internet?

Thanks,

Mike

Hi,

The Grand Champion was: Maille Original Dijon

I remember tasting this mustard, because I did not expect the punch if offered. I thought there was horseradish in it, because it was that strong. However, Dijon does not have horseradish, what I tasted was the full effect of the mustard.

I have a lovely picture of all the first place winners lined up on a plate, which I will post later.

I could not find on their website a list of the gold, silver and bronze medal winners in the 16 catagories. I am sure it will be up soon.

Regards,

Thank you, Cathy. Looking forward!

As for the competition- what I understand to be the largest-selling Dijon mustard in the US is Grey Poupon, made by a Kraft Foods subsidiary in... New Jersey. For those who maybe can't find Maille, the Dijon mustard from Trader Joe's is made in Dijon. It's very good. On the down side though, I've had two jars of it turn bitter after a couple months in the fridge. Never had a mustard do that before; maybe I just don't eat mustard as fast as I used to.

The medal winners from the 2013 World-Wide Mustard Competition can be found here. This list of 49 (mostly) very fine mustards is an interesting mix of some fairly common ones that can be found in many supermarkets with more obscure examples that are virtually unavailable in the US. Though some are pricey it's not necessary to spend a lot of money to get excellent mustard.

I participated in all three rounds of judging—sampling and evaluating well over a hundred mustards. The first week, I tried over 70. The judging was done blind, so it's interesting to now see the names of the winners.

Site of first two rounds: National Mustard Museum in Middleton


Panel of Exotics in the first round


Men's rest room


Swiss TradimoFlex dispenser: like milking a mustard cow


Grand champion round at Milwaukee Public Market


Maille Dijon Originale, the Grand Champion, deserves the acclaim. Although I'm fairly familiar with this mustard I was unprepared for the potency of this entry. Barry explained the company sent over its freshest batch and the jar was newly opened for judging. Impressive stuff.

I was happy to see Woeber's, a long time favorite of mine, get two medals. A couple other of my go-to mustards, Boetje's and Ba-Tampte, were also recognized.

Sweet mustards aren't a particular favorite of mine but some are quite special. Gold medalists Three Monkeys Sweet & Spicy Mustard (secret ingredient: butter) and Woeber's Supreme Honey Mustard are worth seeking out. The fruit category surprised me, especially the extraordinary blueberry mustard from LissElla, a small Swedish company that won an impressive four medals. Silver in the fruit category went to Earth & Vine's Tangerine Habanero Mustard, a brilliant combination of flavors, perfectly balanced.

I was happy to see one of my new favorites get a gold. Pommery Piment d'Espelette, a special edition from the venerable mustard maker, is one of the greatest hot mustards I've ever tasted. It starts with a sharp blast from the espelette pepper, which quickly subsides, only to be filled in with the classic Moutarde de Meaux nutty flavor. The grainy texture and burgundy color are great as well.

My favorite entry only mustered a silver medal. Moutarde à l'absinthe made by Distillerie des Terres Rouges, a beautiful pale green paste with the unmistakable flavor of anise plus the bitterness of wormwood, is a freakish condiment. The flavors shouldn't work together but somehow they do. This was a divisive mustard: many judges hated it but enough loved it. I don't think this mustard is easily available but I'd love to get my hands on a bottle to see how it works with various foods. I can't imagine this would ever become a regular mustard for me but I've become mildly obsessed with it. If anyone knows of a source I'd be eternally grateful.

For a lifelong mustard fanatic—my favorite childhood snack was mustard (never French's!) spread on rye bread—the World-Wide Mustard Competition was a dream come true. Barry and Patti Levenson (Mr and Mrs Mustard) did a fantastic job organizing and hosting the event. I'm already looking forward to next year.

National Mustard Museum
7477 Hubbard Av
Middleton WI
608-831-2222
http://mustardmuseum.com/

Thanks for the mustard judging roundup, Rene G. It may be possible to order the absinthe mustard from this French outfit: http://www.lemoutardier.fr/fr/72-absinthe.