The Best Store-Bought Mustard Comes From A Classic Brand

Condiments can be contentious. People debate not just which condiment belongs on a hot dog, but which brand. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, along with the North American Meat Institute, ran a survey of hot dog toppings and found that mustard was the top condiment, with the controversial ketchup a close second. But which brand is the best? We recently sent a reviewer through a sinus-clearing journey to search for the top store-bought mustard. They tried 14 different mustards — from in-house to gourmet brands — and ranked them from worst to first. One mustard delivered on everything you would want from the yellow condiment: French's.

The reviewer tried each mustard plain — no hot dog, no grilled cheese (seriously, try mustard on your next grilled cheese!). With 15 years in the food industry and mustard as their condiment of choice, they judged each on taste and texture. Both French's classic and dijon mustards took the top spot. The reviewer praised the classic yellow mustard for its medium thickness and sour, tangy flavor. The dijon added a nice kick of spice and saltiness, with an undertone of creaminess.

In the final episode of season two of The Bear, Carmy gets locked in the walk-in. "When did we start ordering Heinz Mustard instead of French's?" he asks, after muttering that he did this to himself. The brand is an American classic. Brothers Francis and George French knew the American palate didn't enjoy the more piquant mustards found in Europe, so they worked on developing a milder mustard. This calmer condiment debuted in 1904 at the St. Louis World Fair as French's Cream Salad Mustard. It was popular both as an ingredient on hot dogs and in salad dressings. Use it in this classic, easy-to-remember vinaigrette ratio of 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard, and 1 tablespoon water.

When the season two finale of The Bear came out, it sparked discussion on Reddit about mustard brands. "Heinz has a slightly off taste to it compared to French's. Something is not quite right. It's close but wrong," wrote the poster. However, another poster felt something had changed in the mustard recipe. "The last four bottles of French's mustard I've bought have had a very plastic chemical taste to them," they wrote. The commenter wasn't the only one to notice. On another Reddit thread, in a forum devoted solely to mustard, posters complained about the new chemical taste. Let's hope the change in this classic American flavor is only temporary!