Mustard is one of my all time favorite condiments. I use it on a variety of food to add some flavor, but I just learned that the mustard I have in my fridge is far from what the original mustard is. I got my hands on some of Lusty Monk’s mustard to experience the difference.
Lusty Monk is based out of Asheville, NC and has been creating real mustard for years. We were sent their three flagship flavors:
Original Sin
Temptation Honey Mustard
Burn in Hell Chipotle Mustard
The first ingredient in all of these is Apple Cider Vinegar followed by mustard seed. All three carry the same basic ingredients, while the Honey Mustard adds honey and brown sugar for a hint of sweetness. The Burn in Hell adds Chipotle peppers to add some extra kick and flavor.
Mustard has been used for years for things far more than flavor for your mouth. In ancient times mustard was used to help with scorpion stings and toothaches. Fast forward to today and it is stated it can help with weight loss, hair loss, a potential aphrodisiac, and much more. I don’t know if all of this is true, but there appear to be some additional benefits you can get from eating REAL mustard.
One thing I wondered is how did Lusty Monk get their name? They share this story on the side of each bottle:
In medieval Europe, there was a belief that spicy foods could “warm the blood” and lead to lustful tendencies. Spicy foods were thought to have aphrodisiac qualities, including mustard. As a result, a few very strict orders of monks were forbidden to eat mustard, lest they fall prey to carnal desires. Other monasteries embraced mustard-making and turned it into an art form. We salute these “lusty monks,” and in that grand tradition, we handcraft our mustard in small batches, with all-natural ingredients that would make our monastic predecessors proud.
I lined up the three offerings from Lusty Monk and it was time to taste test. I took a big whiff to smell the mustard prior to eating and it can help clear out some sinus passages! There is a strong aroma to this mustard that will help activate your other senses as you enjoy this mustard. I started with the original sin mustard and took a dab on a pretzel and there was a flavor explosion of strong, spicy mustard. It was like my regular mustard was on steroids. You can actually see all of the mustard seeds in each of these mustards.
Next up, it is time for the Temptation Honey Mustard. This has the same flavor, when it hits your tongue, as the original sin, but you then get a hint of sweet honey and brown sugar as you swallow. This is a good one if you like sweet and heat. It is not overly sweet and still the primary taste is spicy mustard.
Finally, the one that I was the most nervous about was the Burn In Hell mustard. The name gives me the chills! I’m not someone who likes much spice in my foods, but being an official product testers sometimes you have to do what you have to do. I dipped the pretzel and and the same mustard spice hits your palette first and then there is a second wave of the chipotle flavor and spice. With just a dab of the mustard it doesn’t give off heat that will choke you up, but if you took a BIG bite of this I have no doubt that even the spiciest person would smile with pleasure.
One other tip I learned is that you can either place this mustard in the fridge, or in the pantry, but know that each way you store it will have an impact on the mustard. If you prefer your mustard spicy then you would want to keep yours in the fridge. If you’d like to dial the spiciness back then store it outside of the fridge and over the coming weeks the spiciness will become slightly milder.
Overall, these bring the true flavor of mustard to the food you love. Each will have some spice to it and a little can go a long ways. I enjoyed some of this on my sandwiches and it was such a pleasant flavor to bring out all the elements of a properly made sandwich.
My favorite is the Temptation Honey Mustard, as I enjoy that hint of sweetness on the back end, the question is what will your favorite be?
You can learn more and get your own by visiting: https://lustymonk.com/
