Deprived of the condiment that gives an edge to a steak frites, life to a grilled sausage, depth to a vinaigrette and richness to mayonnaise, France has been casting around with quiet desperation for alternatives
PARIS — Mustard runs deep in French culture. “My blood is boiling” is rendered in French by the expression “La moutarde me monte au nez” (“The mustard is rising into my nose”) — and as Bastille Day testifies, when that happens in France, the effect can be devastating.
As France marked its most important national holiday Thursday, commemorating the storming of the Bastille fortress prison in 1789 that ignited the French Revolution, the mysterious disappearance of mustard from supermarket shelves has caused, if not revolt, at least deep disquiet.
Deprived of the condiment that gives edge to a steak frites, life to a grilled sausage, depth to a vinaigrette and richness to mayonnaise, France has been casting around with quiet desperation for alternatives. Horseradish, wasabi, Worcestershire sauce and even creams of Roquefort or shallots have all emerged as contenders.
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