Dijon mustard

Dijon mustard is the classic smooth, pale, sharp French mustard of Dijon in Burgundy — made by grinding brown and black mustard seed with verjus (the tart juice of unripe grapes) or white wine in place of plain vinegar. That wine-based liquid is what sets it apart: it gives a clean, penetrating, sinus-clearing heat with a bright, faintly fruity acidity rather than the harsh sourness of a vinegar mustard, and none of the turmeric-yellow, sweetened mildness of American yellow. Smooth and creamy rather than grainy, it is the workhorse of the French kitchen — the emulsifying backbone of a vinaigrette, the lift in a pan sauce, the body of a mayonnaise, and a sharp, versatile condiment at the table.