Whether grainy or smooth, spicy or sweet, Dijon, American or English, mustard accompanies our food and flavours our life around the globe. It has been a source of pleasure, health and myth from ancient times to the present day, its tiny seed a symbol of faith and its pungent flavour a testimony to refined taste.

In this delightful global history, Demet Guzey takes readers on a tour of the ubiquitous mustard, exploring its origins, its use in medicine and in the kitchen, its place in literature, language and religion, and its strong symbolism of sharpness, perseverance and strength. There are stories of mustard plasters used to treat melancholy, runners eating mustard to prevent cramps, and Christians spreading mustard seeds along pilgrimage trails.

Packed with entertaining mustard facts, anecdotes and images, as well as a selection of historic and modern recipes, this surprising history of one of the world’s most loved condiments will appeal to food history aficionados.