Published July 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.
Coarse-grain mustard is considered by many a must for grilled sausage or a ham sandwich. Which one should you buy?
Mustard aficionados argue that the coarse-grained condiment improves any ham sandwich or grilled sausage—unless you pick the wrong jar. The fate of our lunch at stake, we sampled 11 brands.
Tasters appreciated spiciness, tanginess, and the pleasant pop of seeds. They disliked mustards with superfluous ingredients such as xanthan gum, artificial flavors, and garlic and onion powders. But the more noteworthy factor turned out to be salt. Mustards with a meager quantity ranked low, while the winners contained roughly twice as much of this flavor amplifier. Our co-winners—a familiar "nasal-clearing" product and a newer, "poppier" product—make good pantry staples.
