In Beaune, take a break from wine with mustard

Our time in France was mostly about wine.  Of adventures beyond the oenological, I have only two to

relate, and both in Beaune: a hospital, and a mustard factory.

Beaune itself is a beautiful little town, and a perfect place to base yourself if you're keen on a wine-tasting holiday.  Its architecture harks back to the glory days of the Dukes of Burgundy and, if you've ever been to Bruges, will remind you of that Belgian city.  Which is no surprise, as that was the northern capital of the same dukes. 

The main attraction in town is the 15th century hospital, which I described here on my last visit.  We stopped in, and enjoyed it, but our most memorable bit of sightseeing came just outside the city walls at La Moutarderie Fallot.

France is the world's leading mustard producer.  It grinds out 86,000 tonnes a year, and 98% of that is Burgundian.  If you want a fascinating insight into this market domination, sign up for a tour at Fallot, who've been making the stuff here since 1840.  You can reserve and pay for your tickets in advance on their website, and though the tour will be in French, they provide English translations throughout.  

The tour takes you through the original factory rooms, venerable stone-walled spaces.  (Production today is still on site but has moved to more modern rooms.)  You start by learning about the plant, its properties, and how it's been used through history.  The ancient grindstone, with its ridges carved in opposing directions to achieve a fine grind, is fascinating.  Stonemasons needed to re-chisel the lines regularly to keep things going, as the seeds would dull the stone.

Next, you learn how they make the stuff. Turns out there's a reason so much mustard is produced in wine country; after the seeds, the most important ingredient is verjus, a bi-product of wine making.  As you'd expect from those numbers, Burgundy used to grow a lot of mustard seed.  These days, production far exceeds what Burgundian fields can offer, so the bulk of the seeds come from Canada.

Special mustards, however, are still produced entirely with Burgundian ingredients, and marketed accordingly.

After learning how it's made, you get to try your hand at producing your own mustard.  Just three ingredients ... mustard seeds, salt, verjus ... should be easy, eh?  Let's just say there's a reason to leave this to the professionals.

After learning the basics, you walk through a model factory filled with century-old equipment, while old Fallot the mustard maker guides you through on a headset.  Finally, you emerge with a handful of free little pots, and then move on to the shop.  There, you'll find a tasting bar with pumps that allow you to sample a wide variety.  This is where you really feel the magic.

Grainy.  Yellow.  Brown.  French.  English.  That's just the start.  The Fallot folks weave spices and flavours together to create varieties strong and mellow, spicy and mild.  Tarragon, red pepper, cassis, mushroom, nuts ... enough to ensure we filled our shopping basket with jars to take home.  They sit in the kitchen now, just waiting for the opportunity.  A rare roast beef, crusted with cep and smoked tea mustard?  Can't wait.