Speciality Dijon Mustard Review - Trader Joe's Provençal Mustard (from the Mustard Miscellany)

This time, I bring you, my loyal mustards, a real treat. Straight from the marvelous Trader Joe's Mustard Miscellany (which you can bet I'll be reviewing over the next few weeks!), I bring you a truly interesting mustard; Trader Joe's own Provençal mustard.

Get excited!

After rudimentary research, I have found that a Provençal mustard is considered by most mustard companies to be a Dijon with paprika, as Trader Joe's is; another example would be Edmond Fallot's own Provencal Dijon Mustard, which I plan to try once I can find it in a local shop!

As per usual with Trader Joe's mustards, the jar is nothing special, just a nice & functional glass jar with a screw top. Easy to use, effective for storage, really all-around okay. One thing I have noticed is that Trader Joe's seems to have a sort of continuity with its choice of glassware, as their wonderful stone-ground Dijon also has the same jar. It's food for thought.

On to the actual mustard - I had no idea it would be so paprika-y! When it comes down to it, the mustard is good not for the mustard flavor as much as the great paprika flavor, which is a taste you tend not to get with such a weak flavor. The white wine is also used well, and it is not overpowering to the rest of the flavors, as the acidic base of mustards can be (I'm looking at you, Heinz.) Although the paprika is great, I am a bit disappointed in how the mustard is masked by the strength of the paprika flavor; I would have preferred it if the flavors had balanced to be a Provençal mustard, not a paprika spread with mustard. But I digress - it's still good stuff. It's really nice on it's own, with a nice toasted bread like a baguette, and it also works well on savory foods, as long as you use enough of it.

This mustard excels in its amazing paprika-ful taste and smart use of white wine as the base of the dijon, but the mustard taste is just not strong enough to work with the paprika - if I have to search for the mustard while tasting, that's not going to earn great marks from me. Because of this, I give it a low 8; I may sound like I don't like it, but it's really still very tasty!

Aioli Mustard Review - Trader Joe's Aioli Garlic Mustard

Now here is a interesting specimen of the condiment jungle - an aioli mustard. Aioli is a condiment siring from the Provence region of southern France, made from a combination of olive oil, garlic and egg yolk with some lemon juice thrown in. This specific medley of aioli and mustard is quite the delicious condiment, if I do say so myself. It's not quite as much of a go-to mustard as others, but if a particular food does well with a garlicky flavor, it's definitely a good choice.

I've never actually had just plain old aioli by itself, but I've heard it is very much like mayonnaise, which is by no means a bad thing. Mayonnaise may be inferior to mustard, but it can still be delicious; and it isn't a stretch at all to say aioli is delicious. At least, with mustard, because I haven't had it and all... you get it.

This is a great baseline mustard for the aioli mustard world. It's nice and garlicky, has a good consistency, and a good colour to boot. I use it most during dinner with whatever I'm having; basically everything I eat already has garlic in it, so this does very nicely.

The jar itself is a little on the boring side. No interesting curves, the cap is just your normal screw-on, and so on. But the mustard itself is of very high quality, and is one you should never miss in your travels in the condiment jungle.

WALROR EDIT: this doesn't have a rating and I dunno if it should be 8 or 9, but I'm gonna go with 8.

Dijon Mustard Review - Trader Joe's Whole Grain Dijon Mustard

Another installment to our line of dijon mustard reviews is this versatile mustard by none other than Trader Joe's. With a strong dijon flavor and a nice grainy texture, this mustard breaks away from the pack. Also, it keeps well, and has a nice jar curvature unlike common mustard of the condiment jungle. Of course, there is the problem with convenience with the cap, but that is to be expected from any jar-based mustard.

I prefer this mustard above others on sandwiches. It's nice on ham, turkey and roast beef with a slice of muenster (which are basically the only sandwiches I make for myself). The interesting texture of the seeds helps to liven up an otherwise uniform meal. It complements other non-meaty flavors well too; it's a good go-to mustard for any mustardy activities that need a dose of uniqueness.

This specimen of a mustard can be hard to track down in your area, as it is sold exclusively by Joe himself. But no matter what you need to do to get your hands on it's glassy surface, it's definitely a mustard worth your time.

WALROR EDIT: okay this looks pretty mediocre so a 7 will do

HY is still unsponsered! I swear!