What could be a good English mustard substitute? The spicy mustard is a popular condiment that offers a variety of uses. From spreads to sausages, this mustard covers a range of culinary deliciousness.
There was a time when English mustard wasn’t as readily available outside the UK. Things have changed now and while it may not be everywhere, it isn’t difficult to obtain. Yet, you may not always get hold of it or may want something less spicy. Whether it’s for these or any other reason, there are always some other options to use.
So let’s dig around and see what can work as a good substitute for the spicy and bright yellow English mustard.
Top Substitutes For English Mustard
1. Dijon Mustard
This is the English mustard’s cousin from across the channel. Dijon mustard comes from France and is a good choice. It is an excellent match in taste and flavor, but it’s not an exact match. There are a few things Dijon does differently.
Dijon uses brown or black mustard seeds, which gives it a spicy touch. However, it’s still milder and doesn’t go as hot and spicy. While there is some match in color, Dijon is visibly different from English mustard.
Yet, it is a decent replacement and can work in a 1:1 ratio.
2. Creole Mustard
Creole is another interesting choice. This is a sweet-spicy mustard with an excellent flavor and texture. Creole uses whole brown mustard seeds along with a blend of other ingredients like vinegar, horseradish, turmeric, and some spices.
All of this gives it a nice yellow color, grainy texture, and a spicy flavor with a touch of sweetness. Still, Creole mustard is great for pretty much all recipes where it’s needed as a substitute.
Creole mustard works with a 1:1 replacement.
3. Chinese Mustard
Going with Chinese mustard is a good idea, especially if you need a quick and easy substitute. At its heart, this mustard includes brown mustard seeds placed in water. This usually makes it quite spicy and stronger as compared to other options.
While water is a common choice, many recipes choose to go with other ingredients. One cause for this change is the desire to increase the shelf life of the mustard. The paste made with water is usually strong, but it’s also relatively quick to see its flavor dampen.
Chinese mustard is great if you can have it fresh. Usually, that’s not the case so there’s a need for other additives or ingredients. These can include vinegar and sesame oil.
For most requirements, Chinese Mustard is a 1:1 substitute for English mustard.
4. Wagarashi
Wagarashi is Japanese mustard. It is quite similar to Chinese mustard and has very similar recipes. This too is made from ground brown mustard seeds and placed in water. It’s hot and spicy with a rather strong flavor. While some wagarashi variants replace water with other ingredients or additives, in most cases, it stays true to the original recipe.
Considering that wagarashi has a stronger and spicier flavor when compared to English mustard, it’s smarter to reduce its quantity.
In most cases, use only half of the wagarashi compared to the amount of mustard required for a recipe. For example, if you need a spoon of English mustard, use only half of wagarashi when using it as a substitute.
5. Whole Grain Mustard
Whole grain mustard doesn’t stay entirely true to its name. This mustard includes whole grains of yellow and brown mustard seeds. It also includes some amount of powdered seeds. It’s ground enough to form a paste, though with a grainier texture. Overall, the texture is coarse and the mustard is a mix of yellow and brown colors.
Since there’s plenty of milder yellow mustard in the mix, this paste isn’t quite as sharp. So, you’ll have to use more of it to make for a viable replacement. Generally, most substitutions will need you to use twice the amount of whole grain mustard compared to English mustard.
6. Spicy Brown Mustard
This mustard likes to stick close to its name. It is made from brown seeds ground to a rather coarse texture. The other part of the mix is the spices. It usually includes several spices like cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, and more.
Spicy brown mustard is suitable for a variety of recipes and dishes and can work as a substitute for English mustard. Even so, it might be better to use it with recipes that have a stronger flavor. That way, the included spices can get to work and really shine with their flavors.
7. Stoneground Mustard
This option includes brown mustard seeds ground with a stone. The mustard is available as a grainy paste with a fairly coarse texture. It’s milder than English mustard, but works well as a replacement for most recipes.
8. German Mustard
German mustard is an umbrella term for various mustard condiments used in Germany. These include several varieties, like the Dusseldorf mustard. Though most famously used with German sausages, this option works fairly well as a substitute too.
Use it in your choice of recipes, while employing a 1:1 replacement ratio.
9. Dry Mustard
You can see dry mustard as a very reliable substitute for English mustard. Dry mustard is just simple ground mustard seeds, usually made from a mix of yellow and brown mustard. To make it viable as a substitute, there’s a need to transform it into a paste. This accomplishes managing the otherwise sharp flavor of dry mustard and getting it to a more convenient form.
The ratios go all haywire with this one and you’ll have to put in some elbow grease too. For every tablespoon of English mustard, start with a teaspoon of dry mustard. Mix it with equal quantities of vinegar and water. Prefer a non-metallic bowl for the mixing and when you’re done, let it sit for about 30 minutes.
10. Horseradish Sauce
While it is an entirely different plant, horseradish comes from the same family as mustard. This family similarity shows up fairly strongly with its overall texture and flavor. That’s a big part of why horseradish in different forms works as a substitute for various mustard products, including dry mustard.
However, for our current scenario, we need it to be available in a paste-like form. This is why horseradish sauce works pretty well. Conventionally, this includes grated horseradish in a mix with mayonnaise, sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and vinegar.
The mix is usually spicier than English mustard, so use less of it in a recipe. Going with half the indicated amount is a good idea.
11. Wasabi
Wasabi as a plant, is directly related to the mustard family. So, there’s no wonder that you can use it as a mustard substitute. To be clear, wasabi is a good substitute for dry mustard. Some changes will be necessary to use it for English mustard. You’d want to dilute it to get a better consistency. Mixing it with water and vinegar could prove useful.
Keep in mind, wasabi is way spicier than mustard. So, use this only in small quantities. Additionally, pure wasabi is very expensive. It might not be the best idea to use it simply as a substitute.
12. Prepared Mustard
The bright yellow, somewhat warm, with sweet undertones prepared mustard is one we all know and love. It’s the conventional mustard condiment to use. True to its name, prepared mustard or yellow mustard uses yellow mustard seeds. These seeds are mellow and have a low heat and spice level.
Compared to English mustard, prepared mustard is pretty tame in heat and spiciness. It’s a good choice if you intend to avoid that hot spiciness of English mustard. You can try different varieties of prepared mustard to see which one hits the spot.
13. DIY English Mustard
Got some culinary chops? Going DIY on the mustard recipe might be a good choice, rather than looking for alternative options. To be clear, this isn’t a very challenging recipe. As long as you can follow simple directions, you could make a pretty good mustard at home.
Here are the ingredients you need:
- Mustard powder: ½ cup
- Apple cider vinegar: 1-2 tablespoons
- Cold water: 1-2 tablespoons
- Sugar and salt to taste
Keep aside apple cider vinegar and water. Mix all the other ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Once they’re mixed well, add the vinegar. You may want to add some water as well to keep the consistency going. Once the paste has a good consistency, put it in a sealed container. Let it stay for a day or two before you start using it.
FAQs And More On English Mustard And Its Substitutes
How Does The Choice Of Mustard Seeds Affect The Condiment?
Generally speaking, there are three types of mustard seeds available. These are yellow, brown, and black. Yellow seeds are fairly mild, while black is quite strong and spicy. As you can imagine, brown falls somewhere in-between. The choice of the seeds for mustard will directly affect how hot and spicy the mustard is.
Black can get too spicy, so most varieties prefer to dabble in brown or yellow. Some blends use all the types of seeds to get the best flavor.
Is There Horseradish In English Mustard?
Yes! Traditionally made English mustard will include some amount of horseradish. This plant, as we know, belongs to the same family as mustard. However, it is hotter and has a spicier flavor. The presence of horseradish in mustard ups its heat and spice quotient.
It’s one of the reasons why conventional English mustard is spicier than other similarly prepared mustards. In most cases, the amount of horseradish added will be 3-7% of the mustard.
Is English Mustard Hot?
Yes, English mustard packs some heat. That’s because it makes generous use of brown mustard seeds, which tend to be fairly hot and spicy. The use of vinegar during manufacture usually helps tone down the sharp taste of mustard, though it still manages to retain a fair bit of its heat.
Getting Your Mustard Alternative Right
When picking the right English mustard substitute, give attention to the color, texture, and heat. Since English mustard is hot, has a grainy texture, and is almost bright yellow, the alternative should have somewhat similar qualities. Thankfully, there are plenty of options available that suit the bill. It’s also fairly easy to create your own English mustard at home.