This past Saturday was the Columbia StEAT Food Truck Festival in New Westminster. I was invited down to a special VIP opening of the Maille Flavour Studio where headmaster mustard sommelier, Harry Lalousis, taught us about how we can incorporate mustard into various dishes, including desserts and cocktails!

Did you know Maille has been around for over 300 years, originating from France? We were treated to a self-serve tasting bar of mustards and pickles that can be found at your local grocery store, as well as a selection of gourmet mustards and pickles only found in select gourmet grocers such as Urban Fare. We even tried a mustard off the tap – it had a really major horseradish-like kick to it compared to the bottles.

Hand passed hors d’oeuvres included chicken and waffle topped with a peach chutney and honey mustard, smoked salmon and baby potato with mustard and dill creme fraiche, and a smoked meat slider with dijon mustard. A dessert made with poached pear and pommery mustard was also sampled – I really enjoyed the light and sweet pommery mustard to the poached pear and mascarpone cheese for this dish.

There was even a cocktail specially made for this event – you might not think mustard in a cocktail would be appealing, but this drink worked! It tasted quite sweet and fruity, with a slight hint of spice from the mustard and sweetness from the drink.

My favourite was the DIY mustard blend station where you could make your own variety and flavour of mustard. I created a basil and black pepper old fashion mustard, whereas my hubby made a berry maple syrup blended mustard with fresh blueberries and raspberries!

This was an enjoyable event and was one of the 3 stops in Canada that will educate home cooks on the various uses of mustards in regular day cooking and elevated dining. If you ever come across the Maille Flavour Studio, check it out, or stop by the grocery store to explore the various types of mustards for your next recipe whether it’s sweet or savoury!

For more info on the Maille Flavour Studio, visit www.maille.ca.