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“Bring as much mustard as can fit in your car!”
“What are you talking about?”
“We can’t find mustard here in France. It’s out-of-stock everywhere.”
Strange But True
It seemed like such a strange request. Yet, it was so strange that it had to be true. My mother-in-law wasn’t joking. She wasn’t making this stuff up.
Maybe you’ve heard about it on the international news.
There is NO mustard in France!
Now, to some people, in some countries, this might not be a big deal. But, let’s compare it to ketchup in the United States. If there was no ketchup anywhere in the U.S., it would be a big deal!
Well, the French love mustard as much as the Americans love ketchup. I learned how to eat and appreciate mustard in France when I first lived there at the age of 19. I’m not talking about the bright yellow mustard that you put on hotdogs at the baseball park.
No, I’m talking about REAL mustard, the dark yellow, spicy mustard with tiny seeds made in Dijon, France.
That’s the real deal!
So, what do the French do when the country runs out of mustard?
They fight! They panic! They yell! They complain! And, they tell their children and grandchildren to buy it in Spain and drive it up to them in France . . . that’s what they do!
And, that’s what we did.
Even though it seemed like a crazy, silly request, we followed orders and bought tons of jars of mustard and loaded it in the trunk of our car. We are glad that we did.
There is nothing better than some spicy Dijon mustard on a nice steak. The way the French eat it is to get some mustard on a knife from the jar and place it on their plate. As they cut a bite of meat, they dab their knife in the mustard on their plate and then spread it gently on the meat. Then, they eat and enjoy!
Here’s an article if you are interested in knowing more about the mustard crisis in France!
Strange but true!
—The Cultural Story-Weaver
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Let’s Weave Cultures!
In your home country, what is the one food that you could NOT live without? What would you do if there was a shortage or no supply at all?
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