 |
| Unassuming and affordable |
National quarantine has taken my time, energy and conviction, but it has yet to seize my appreciation for the finer things in life: chiefly, some good mustard at lunch. Whilst it is no secret that HY has been on a very long hiatus, I am finally encouraged to return, riding upon the fervent praises of friends and family, to share a rather overlooked gem: Wegman's store label Honey Mustard.
What makes this mustard special enough to return to the hallowed halls of Hard Yellow? If you are familiar with my past work, you may remember a certain tirade about my issues with mass produced honey mustard. Many honey mustards manage to bastardize both parts of the equation, creating a sauce that has both lost its mustard flavor, and yet, none of the bee-syrup goodness of honey. Too often you are left with a product like Inglehoffer's, which, although their mustard is often supreme, leaves me disappointed with an off-yellow, runny sauce that is weaker than French's and no sweeter than a dijon. When I am sold a damned honey mustard, I want this sauce to at the very least represent one of the two it is made from.
Wegman's has managed this. Their honey mustard leans firmly towards the former of its namesake, producing an incredibly thick, sultry sweet mustard that finally satisfies my sweet tooth. You can actually pick out the tiny floral hints real honey carries, those little notes that tell you that yes, this is real. (Real in the lowest sense in that it is mass-produced without the actual magic of local beekeepers' honey, but I digress.) I've found great enjoyment with introducing this condiment to hams, darker & savory breads (like pretzels!) and more; much like how you use normal honey sparingly to not blow out your tongue with sugar spots, this mustard plays best at complimenting heavy flavors. I've even mixed it with hot sauce, which was a nice experience.
Hotness, however, brings me to my main qualm with this mustard. Nothing has changed in my hawkish perceptions of mustard containers, and I'm afraid Wegman's does not score high. The plastic container provides no slippage to ease the viscous mustard out; a wide-mouth glass jar would have been preferable. As well, I am disappointed in how it advertises this mustard as 'hot', when it is most certainly not. The mustard takes a back seat in this condiment: as I have shown, I am not cross with this, but I do hate false advertising.
In conclusion, this is finally a honey mustard that I would purchase again. This is not the pinnacle whatsoever - it could have reintroduced the actual mustardy heat it was missing for a truly wonderful thing - but it scores above any honey mustard I've seen before. All told, a 7 out of 10, and the impetus I needed to get back to my home here on Hard Yellow.
Coming soon: Inglehoffer's Creamy Dill!
Please leave any suggestions in the comments below!
