Food & Drink: Why we're so keen on flavoured mustards: Geraldene Holt on a British revival of the fiery condiment that enhances a host of dishes

IN 19TH-century France there were more than 80 different kinds of mustard. Flavoured with truffles, garlic, peppercorns, capers, mushrooms, anchovies, nasturtiums - or even vanilla - the condiment was the height of fashion. In late 20th-century Britain we are witnessing a similar phenomenon.

The great British mustard revival was started almost 25 years ago by William Tullberg, now of Sherston near Malmesbury, who pioneered a wholegrain mustard similar to the French moutarde de Meaux. He crushed white mustard seed with dried red chillies, allspice and black peppercorns, then blended it with cider vinegar and wine vinegar and named it Urchfont Original Mustard. The seed husks in the unsieved mixture gave the mustard a satisfying crunchy texture. Its success and the introduction of a dozen other flavoured mustards have made Mr Tullberg's company, Wiltshire Tracklements, market leader among the small army of cottage-industry mustard makers which have since been established.

The flavour of a mustard depends on the kind of mustard seed, the quantity of water and quality of vinegar used and the mixture of spices added. Bright yellow English mustard powder consists of a mixture of white mustard seed, Sinapsis alba - a rare home-grown spice, which was probably introduced by the Romans - and Canadian reddish brown mustard seed, Brassica juncea. Milled and sieved separately, they are then blended with wheat flour and ground turmeric, which boosts the mustard's colour and slightly affects the taste.

Nowadays, Colman's of Norwich dominates the English mustard industry, but the name of one earlier mustard miller, Keen's of Garlick Hill in London, survives in the expression 'keen as mustard'. Fans of English mustard claim that it goes well with pork sausages, mixed grills and cold ham. And mild American mustard, made with mustard powder and sugar, is almost obligatory spread on hot-dogs. Dried mustard powder is useful in cooking, for preparing 'devilled' dishes and for making piccalilli-style pickles.

Making your own flavoured mustard is a fairly straightforward process. You soften the seed in vinegar or water for 24 hours, then mix to a paste in a food processor with herbs or spices. The Compleat Mustard by Rosamond Man and Robin Weir (Constable pounds 12.95) contains a host of easy-to-follow mustard recipes from horseradish-flavoured Tewkesbury mustard - a regional speciality of which Falstaff exclaims, in Henry IV: 'His wit is as thick as Tewkesbury mustard' - to the Italian mostarda di Cremona, the delectable mustard- flavoured fruit relish. Fox's Spices sell 10 pre- packed DIY mustard seed mixtures, ranging from Apple and Mint to Hot Tomato; they are available from Harrods or by mail order from M W Pester, 59 Aston Cantlow Road, Wilmcote, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire (tel 0789 266420).

In Dijon last autumn I spent a morning buying various French mustards. Mustard making is an ancient craft in Burgundy. Granted a royal decree 600 years ago, and an appellation controlee during the 1930s, Dijon mustard must be made with brown mustard seed. Dijon is the undisputed mustard capital of France, producing not only the tastiest mustard, but also more than 80 per cent of the country's output.

The subtle, complex flavour of Dijon mustard is partly attributed to the quality of the local wine vinegar. This may be why one of the tastiest mustards I discovered - bought in a small back-street shop specialising in snails - was a smooth, stone-ground, aromatic mustard made in the wine centre of Beaune. Dijon's famous Maille/Grey-Poupon mustard shop is well worth a visit, not just to buy mustard but also to admire the splendid collection of mustard pots that date back to the time when the Maille enterprise was appointed sole moutardier to the Marquise de Pompadour.

Fine-flavoured smooth and wholegrain mustards flatter and compliment many foods, particularly hot roast beef, cold baked ham and occasionally Cheddar cheese - and a salt beef sandwich without mustard doesn't bear thinking about. As heat destroys its subtle pepperiness, smooth Dijon mustard is at its best when added to salad dressing - it helps to emulsify a vinaigrette - and cold and lukewarm sauces. Just a quarter of a teaspoonful of Dijon mustard added to the egg yolks when making mayonnaise helps to stop it separating.

British wholegrain mustards, and other more robust varieties, are excellent when used to flavour a cream sauce for vegetables such as leeks, cauliflower or cabbage. Many cheese dishes - and certainly Welsh rarebit - are improved with the addition of mustard. William Tullberg recommends his Spiced Honey Mustard as a glaze for baked ham. And to bring out the flavour of filleted herrings, a Scottish friend brushes them with a mixture of mustard and whisky before grilling.

LAMB CUTLETS WITH ORANGE

MUSTARD GLAZE

Prepare the lamb 1-2 hours in advance and cook just before the meal.

Serves 3-6

2 rounded tablespoons wholegrain mustard

(Urchfont Original is good)

finely grated zest and juice of 1 small blood orange

1-2 tablespoons clear honey

salt, to taste

6 well-trimmed loin or neck lamb cutlets

Blend the mustard with the orange zest and juice, the honey and a little salt. Spoon over both sides of each cutlet and leave on a plate in a cold place until ready to cook.

Place the meat on a lightly oiled grid in a roasting pan and cook under a pre-heated grill for 6-8 minutes each side until the mustard is brown and bubbling and the meat is cooked but still pink. Serve with a green salad.-

(Photograph omitted)