Tewkesbury Mustard
Encyclopedia
Tewkesbury mustard is a blend of mustard
flour and grated Horseradish
root.
The mustard was developed in the English
town of Tewkesbury
in Gloucestershire
and gained certain notoriety in the 17th Century becoming a staple condiment of the kitchens of the time.
Shakespeare mentions the mustard in Henry IV
where Falstaff
has the line: “his wit’s as thick as Tewkesbury Mustard”.
To use the balls they would be broken apart then mixed with a liquid such as water, vinegar, wine, ale, beer, cider or fruit juice to soften them and mixed to a thick, creamy consistency. Often a sweetener such as honey would be added.
The resulting mixture would then be used as a condiment just as mustard is used today or as a cure for ailments.
Festival in 1971 (a major program of events commemorating the 850th anniversary of the consecration of the Abbey
and the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Tewkesbury
), the mustard was re-created on a commercial basis from the original recipe, though it is not made in Tewkesbury. Hand-made mustard using local ingredients can still be purchased in Tewkesbury. The mustard can still be bought in ball format and even covered in gold-leaf.
There are now several manufacturers producing the mustard and it is readily found in Tewkesbury’s shops and elsewhere, Bracken Hill Fine Foods (Yorkshire)make their own mustard. Fortnum & Mason
in London
stocks it and Waitrose
supermarkets sell their own-label jars of it.
’s historical novel “Oddfish!” contains the text: “Workmen, too, were set to search and dig everywhere for "Tewkesbury mustard-balls," as they were called—or fire-balls, with which it was thought that the Catholics would set London a-fire” which suggests that the term was used to describe some sort of early day incendiary device
.
A similar line also appears in Alfred Marks' book "Who Killed Sir Edmund Godfrey?"
Thomas Firminger Thiselton-Dyer in his book “The Folk-lore of Plants” (pub. 1889) gives evidence that the phrase “He looks as if he lived on Tewkesbury mustard” came to be used as slang in Gloucestershire
for those "who always have a sad, severe, and terrific countenance".
Mustard plant
Mustards are several plant species in the genera Brassica and Sinapis whose small mustard seeds are used as a spice and, by grinding and mixing them with water, vinegar or other liquids, are turned into the condiment known as mustard or prepared mustard...
flour and grated Horseradish
Horseradish
Horseradish is a perennial plant of the Brassicaceae family, which also includes mustard, wasabi, broccoli, and cabbages. The plant is probably native to south eastern Europe and the Arab World , but is popular around the world today...
root.
The mustard was developed in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
town of Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
and gained certain notoriety in the 17th Century becoming a staple condiment of the kitchens of the time.
Shakespeare mentions the mustard in Henry IV
Henry IV, Part 2
Henry IV, Part 2 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed written between 1596 and 1599. It is the third part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 and succeeded by Henry V.-Sources:...
where Falstaff
Falstaff
Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare. In the two Henry IV plays, he is a companion to Prince Hal, the future King Henry V. A fat, vain, boastful, and cowardly knight, Falstaff leads the apparently wayward Prince Hal into trouble, and is...
has the line: “his wit’s as thick as Tewkesbury Mustard”.
Mustard balls
Originally the mustard was prepared by grinding the mustard seeds into mustard flour, combining this with finely grated horseradish (and sometimes herbs and spices) then forming the mixture into balls which were then dried to aid preservation. The mustard balls would then be transported and sold in this form.To use the balls they would be broken apart then mixed with a liquid such as water, vinegar, wine, ale, beer, cider or fruit juice to soften them and mixed to a thick, creamy consistency. Often a sweetener such as honey would be added.
The resulting mixture would then be used as a condiment just as mustard is used today or as a cure for ailments.
Today
At the time of the TewkesburyTewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
Festival in 1971 (a major program of events commemorating the 850th anniversary of the consecration of the Abbey
Tewkesbury Abbey
The Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Tewkesbury in the English county of Gloucestershire is the second largest parish church in the country and a former Benedictine monastery.-History:...
and the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Tewkesbury
Battle of Tewkesbury
The Battle of Tewkesbury, which took place on 4 May 1471, was one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses. The forces loyal to the House of Lancaster were completely defeated by those of the rival House of York under their monarch, King Edward IV...
), the mustard was re-created on a commercial basis from the original recipe, though it is not made in Tewkesbury. Hand-made mustard using local ingredients can still be purchased in Tewkesbury. The mustard can still be bought in ball format and even covered in gold-leaf.
There are now several manufacturers producing the mustard and it is readily found in Tewkesbury’s shops and elsewhere, Bracken Hill Fine Foods (Yorkshire)make their own mustard. Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason, often shortened to just "Fortnum's" is a department store, situated in central London, with two other branches in Japan. Its headquarters is located at 181 Piccadilly, where it was established in 1707 by William Fortnum and Hugh Mason...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
stocks it and Waitrose
Waitrose
Waitrose Limited is an upmarket chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom and is the food division of the British retailer and worker co-operative the John Lewis Partnership. Its head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, England...
supermarkets sell their own-label jars of it.
Additional notes
There is some evidence that “Tewkesbury Mustard” came to be used as slang for fire-balls. Robert Hugh BensonRobert Hugh Benson
Robert Hugh Benson was the youngest son of Edward White Benson and his wife, Mary...
’s historical novel “Oddfish!” contains the text: “Workmen, too, were set to search and dig everywhere for "Tewkesbury mustard-balls," as they were called—or fire-balls, with which it was thought that the Catholics would set London a-fire” which suggests that the term was used to describe some sort of early day incendiary device
Incendiary device
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus....
.
A similar line also appears in Alfred Marks' book "Who Killed Sir Edmund Godfrey?"
Thomas Firminger Thiselton-Dyer in his book “The Folk-lore of Plants” (pub. 1889) gives evidence that the phrase “He looks as if he lived on Tewkesbury mustard” came to be used as slang in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
for those "who always have a sad, severe, and terrific countenance".