Unexpectedly, a potent aroma – eye-watering, nose-piercing, heat-inducing – engulfs me.
Next, the ground beneath me shimmies, accompanied by loud rumblings overhead. Fortunately, the shake-rattle-and-rolling gyrations are nothing like the undulating tremors that years ago startled me awake from a sound sleep during a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in Kenwood, CA. Nevertheless, for these few seconds, I focus on maintaining my balance and remaining upright.
Then, light mist sprinkles me from all sides.
Throughout my brief journey, as perilous as it sounds, I’m laughing with delight. For I am a mustard seed, en route to my ultimate and glorious destiny…inside a glass jar of Edmond Fallot Dijon mustard.
I’m in Beaune, France, at the headquarters of Edmond Fallot. This historic company was founded in 1840, and has been owned and run by the Fallot family since 1928. It’s the last independent and family-owned mustard mill in the country’s celebrated Burgundy wine region. Sophie Chapuis, tourism manager, is escorting me on a private experience of the company’s “Sensations Fortes” tour. Open to the public, this tour showcases the making of their award-winning Edmond Fallot Dijon mustard.
Strong Sensations tour
Sensations Fortes is an interactive, sensory imitation of the steps mustard seeds undergo when they arrive at the factory. True to the tour’s name, my senses are on high alert.
My nose and eyes water from the chemical reaction as heady whiffs of Dijon mustard scent the air. I’m feeling – and hearing – the jostling motions that mimic the mechanized sorting that removes and discards residual plant materials and foreign bodies. Caressing my skin, the slight spritzing of water dries quickly, and hints at the thorough cleansing mustard seeds receive.
Renowned chefs, like the late, great Paul Bocuse, along with everyday cooks in France and beyond revere Edmond Fallot Dijon mustard (moutarde in French). They value its telltale pungency, robust flavor, rich yellow color, and exceptional quality.
In my own kitchen in Charlotte, NC, Edmond Fallot Dijon mustard is always, truly always, in my pantry. Exuding spice and verve, this piquant condiment is a prime ingredient enlivening my French vinaigrettes, marinades, and sauces. In addition, I slather it on sandwiches, and punch up stews with heaping tablespoons. I even dollop it for a stand-alone kick alongside fish, meat, and poultry.
At Edmond Fallot, personifying the path of mustard seeds is just part of the fun (and delicious) introduction to one of Burgundy’s most iconic gastronomic treasures.
Inside Edmond Fallot Dijon mustard mill
Walking along Beaune’s Promenade des Remparts, I arrive at 31 rue du Faubourg Bretonnière, home of Edmond Fallot La Moutarderie (the mustard mill).
The property fronts a charming street lined with shops, restaurants, and small businesses, as well as residences. Strikingly, its small size largely belies its existence as a world-class Dijon mustard manufacturing facility.
The unassuming building’s mustardy-toned walls do hint at the site’s purpose. So does an ancient, wooden mustard seed press standing sentinel just past the open-air entry. Along the left wall of the narrow alley are murals, painted in soothing earth tones in a natural and unaffected style. They depict mustard seeds’ year-long growing season, from August to August, from planting to sprouting yellow flowered plants to bountiful harvest.
At right is a retail shop stocked with a colorful array of merchandise. Not only does the company market mustards in the classic Dijon style, but it also uses such diverse flavorings as pinot noir wine, tarragon, basil, honey, and walnuts to enhance other varieties.
In a reverent nod to bygone days, a vintage 1932 4-cylinder Peugeot 201T commercial limousine boldly claims center stage in the courtyard at the end of the outdoor walkway. The vehicle, the company’s honored “mascot,” is painted in vibrant mustard-yellow paint – of course. Sporting a billboard-sized nameplate, it once delivered Edmond Fallot Dijon mustard to waiting customers.
On the factory floor
Sophie and I proceed from the darkened, stone-lined cellar in the mill’s original production building. We enter a glassed-in corridor alongside the brightly illuminated factory floor.
France is the European mother lode of mustard, producing a whopping 95,000 tons a year. Under the direction of Marc Désarménien, grandson of the company’s founder and namesake, Edmond Fallot turns out 2,000 tons per year. In addition, its distribution is global.
Sophie points out that each machine bears a simple, line graphic design indicating its function, such as sifting, soaking, or grinding. No surprise, yellow holding tanks contain mustard paste.
The equipment looks, and indeed is, state-of-the-art. However, inside the six individual mustard mills lurks an age-old, traditional technique, one that is now the sole province of Edmond Fallot.
Unlike their larger competitors who manufacture greater quantities, expert artisans here still slowly grind mustard seeds the old-fashioned way between hulking, finely ridged granite stones. This method using stone grinders preserves the seeds’ pure, zingy, natural flavor and spice in the paste that is the company’s hallmark.
As much as I good-naturedly wheedle Sophie to divulge the origins of the stones, which weigh about 1,700 pounds each and last 30-40 years, she holds fast.
“Where the stones come from is a secret,” she smiles conspiratorially.
Origin of Dijon mustard
Mustard, I learn, is a product steeped in history.
Long before mustard making came to France around the 13th century, the ancient Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman civilizations were transforming mustard seeds into a creamy and aromatic paste.
“It’s a plant cultivated from the dawn of time,” Sophie says.
Mustard seeds can be white, yellow, brown, even black, and the darker the stronger. They come from Canada and Burgundy; however, Edmond Fallot Dijon mustard uses 100% Burgundian seeds.
Sophie presents a small bowl containing brown seeds for me to sample. I chew a pinch of the crunchy morsels. As she directs, I don’t swallow them. She waits patiently for me to react. Frankly, I’m not tasting much, other than a slight bitterness. Then pow. I feel a delayed jolt of heat in the back of my mouth. I gasp, and she nods with satisfaction.
The popular Dijon mustard uses the same basic ingredients and is a common process. While the mustard came from the area of Dijon in the Burgundy region, those early makers failed to protect the process and recipe, so it isn’t exclusive to that nearby city as its name might imply.
“Everybody anywhere in the world can make moutarde de Dijon,” Sophie explains. “You could even make it at home. It’s simply mustard seeds, salt, water, and white vinegar. The percentage of each that we use, though, is a secret.”
Until phylloxera destroyed the Burgundian vineyards in the late 19th century, mustard makers used a special green grape juice, called verjus, that made the mustard tastier and more popular. Production expanded. When that varietal became extinct, they switched to a mix of white vinegar with water.
On the other hand, Edmond Fallot Moutarde de Bourgogne (or Burgundy mustard) is a specialty, gourmet product. This style bears a Protected Geographical Indication, guaranteeing Burgundy is the origin of production. Instead of using vinegar, a key component is the region’s famed and exclusive aligoté white wine.
Handmaking and tasting Edmond Fallot Dijon mustard
Since Sophie said anybody can make Dijon mustard, I decide to give it a whirl. A few days later, I return to Edmond Fallot for their “Découvertes” (discovery) tour.
About 30 of us participate. Our bi-lingual guide divides us based on our languages – French and English – and addresses each group accordingly.
A brief film we watch about mustard through the ages floors me. Who knew mustard boasts properties far beyond the culinary realm?
Have an upset stomach, cough, lung disease, stuffy head, questionable spleen, hard belly, bald spot, or skin wound? Are you low on sexual desire? Want to boost your memory or make your dreams come true? Medicate with mustard.
We move to small tables set with simple mustard making tools – bowls containing mustard seeds and a touch of salt, glass bottles of vinegar, and, for lack of the proper term, crushers. I pair with two French women who also speak English. I encourage them to do most of the crushing, which essentially is like using a mortar and pestle to hand make pesto, while I take a few photos. My task turns out to be much easier. Mustard seeds, albeit small, are quite hard, and the sound of continuous, effortful pounding reverberates around the room. We slowly add vinegar by the teaspoons, and, lo and behold, Dijon mustard!
After a climb up a creaky wooden staircase to admire their rare collection of ancient wooden mustard-making machines, we descend back into the same open room and view a transformation.
Tasty treats
Now, the room features tables dressed with multiple dome-shaped cloches enticingly concealing the contents beneath. The setting reminds me of dining in a fine French restaurant, where servers present similarly covered plates to eager diners and dramatically lift the cloches to reveal their meals. We, too, lift ours in unison, and voila! It’s our tasting menu – four kinds of Edmond Fallot Dijon mustard paired with complementary foods.
Our guide is particular about the order we taste.
As instructed, we begin with Moutarde de Bourgogne and jambon persillé (parslied ham), a delicate and delicious Burgundian terrine of poached ham, garlic, and white wine jelly eaten cold. We move to tarragon Dijon mustard with chicken and a slice of cooked carrot. Blackcurrant Dijon mustard with tomatoes comes third. Lastly, it’s green peppercorn mustard with squares of gingerbread made with bacon and butter. All scrumptious.
To top off our tasting, we each depart with a gift box containing one small pot of mustard with tarragon and one with seed-style mustard.
If I hadn’t already been a fan of Edmond Fallot Dijon mustard, I certainly would be now. I hurry back to my Airbnb rental apartment, mentally planning recipes for dinner using my takeaway mustards.
Photos of Dijon mustard production are courtesy of Edmond Fallot.
Loved the story. Very interesting!
Thanks, Lin! The behind-the-scenes look at mustard making was fun and informative, and the mustard tasting was delicious!