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Dijon Mustard is a style of mustard made in Burgundy, France. It is named after the city of Dijon, which is the capital of Burgundy.
There is no one single brand. Some brands are milder, some are hotter. They are all made from Brown Mustard Seed; French law prohibits the use of White Mustard Seed in Dijon Mustard. While most other mustards use vinegar as an ingredient, Dijon uses verjuice instead. This practice was started in 1856 by a man named Jean Naigeon, to make the mustard less acidic. The seeds are crushed and ground, sieved to get the husk out, then mixed with water, verjuice and seasonings. The mixture is allowed to stand for 3 days, then it is bottled. No colour or additives are permitted.
Dijon-style is mustard that is made in the style of Dijon Mustard, but not actually made in the area.
Even the "authentic" stuff though, made right in Burgundy, isn't as authentic as it might seem. Foodie tourists see yellow-flowered fields around Dijon and wax lyrically about it all: you know how they do go on how historical and unchanging it all is. Those fields, though, are actually rapeseed. What they're seeing is a wonder of modern State intervention. Farmers in the area switched to rapeseed as they could make more on rapeseed from EU subsidies than they could on Mustard Seed. So where does the Mustard Seed come from? It's imported now from Canada, where no doubt farmers there are equally as subsidized by taxpayers to grow the mustard seed. At least the taxpayers on both sides get to enjoy the mustard.
History
The Romans brought mustard plants to the area, as indeed they did to all of France. Dijon was already a mustard "hot spot" if you will during the Roman period, as the area had many vineyards that could supply the sour grape juice (see verjuice).
The making of Dijon Mustard has been regulated since at least 1390. The 1390 regulations stated that it had to be made from a paste made of mustard seed and good quality wine aged for at least 12 days. Dijon Mustard used to be made from Black Mustard Seed.
Also called:  Dijon (French) Dijonsenf (German) Mostaza de Dijón (Spanish)
See Also
Verjuice
Other entries for Mustard
American Mustard, Beaujolais Mustard, Bordeaux Mustard, Brown Mustard, Dijon Mustard, Dusseldorf Mustard, English Mustard, German Mustard, Grainy Mustards, Karashi, Mustard Seed, Wagarashi
Other entries for Spices
Ajowan Seed, Allspice, Anardana, Anise, Annatto, Asafoetida, Caraway, Cardamom, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cream of Tartar, Cumin, Dried Lily Buds, Garlic Powder, Ginger, Juniper Berries, Kokum, Nigella, Nutmeg, Paprika, Peppers, Pepper, Saffron, Salt, Sumac, Turmeric, Zedoary
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