It's perhaps the world's oldest condiment. Most recorded histories note the cultivation and use of mustard plants for epicurean and medicinal purposes. Napoleon's armies were supplied with mustard to ward off digestive ailments and make their food more palatable, Mustard found its lifelong mate, the hot dog, at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. French's, founded that same year and available at the World's Fair, has dominated mustard sales for most of the century and kept a wary eye on the fancy flavors. Terry Plochman, owner of Plochmans Mustard Inc., A Chicago family business found in 1852, says a lot of the fancier mustards didn't age well when they sat on shelves for long stretches.
Most people are.
Plochmans introduced its own Dijon and honey flavors a few years ago, so as to catch a bit of the new wave. They're not laughing anymore. After experimenting with the wild hybrids, many customers have retreated to yellow.