Want to bring some mustard home to France? In fact, it might be the last place you’ll find it for now. France’s most famous condiment is running out, and there’s no sign of it returning to the shelves.
When Marc Désarménien’s Maison Fallot mustard shop in Dijon opens at 10 a.m. every morning, 10 to 15 people are already queuing outside hoping to get their hands on this condiment now luxury
“I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like it,” said Désarménien, whose family business has been producing authentic French mustard for generations.
A sign in the department of a supermarket stating that the sale of mustard is limited to one jar per person per trolley. Photo Mathieu Thomasset. (Mathieu Thomasset / Hans Lucas v)
“My grandfather lived through two world wars and the post-war period when there were ration tickets in France, but even then there was mustard.
“Now, whether you go to Lille, Marseille, Bordeaux or Strasbourg, nobody has any mustard left. Everything is sold in a few hours.”
France is the largest consumer of mustard in the world and its relationship with the condiment dates back to the Middle Ages.
France is the largest consumer of mustard in the world and its relationship with the condiment dates back to the Middle Ages. (Eddie Jim)
In fact, Désarménien explains that it was the Dukes of Burgundy who first made it so popular by combining it with tough meats for its digestive qualities.
Over the years, it has become a staple of French cuisine and a must for the French home.
Today, most French mustard is produced by big brands such as Amora, owned by Unilever, and sold in supermarkets. But those supermarket shelves are now empty, sparking outrage across the country.
Today, most French mustard is produced by large brands owned by Unilever. (Photo by Dominic Lorrimer/Fairfax Media) (Dominic Lorrimer)
The impact of climate change
Conspiracy theories have flooded social media, with some suggesting the disappearance of mustard is a ploy by supermarkets to inflate prices and that piles of the pot are hidden in warehouses. But the real reason for France’s mustard shortage extends far beyond the country’s borders.
Despite French mustard being labeled as Dijon or Reims, most of the seeds it’s made from are actually grown in Canada, where they cost much less. But transatlantic mustard seeds have recently fallen victim to the effects of climate change.
“Canada exported 157 tonnes of mustard seeds to France in 2021, an 80% decrease from 2020 and a 94.9% decrease from the five-year average,” a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told CNN ‘Canadian Agriculture.
The reason for this decrease is that “in 2021, the grasslands, where mustard seed is mainly grown, experienced extreme dry conditions, which led to a significant reduction in yields,” the spokesman said, adding that “the farmers are on the front lines of climate change.”
A bird in search of food flies over a mustard field with yellow flowers. (Thomas Warnack/dpa via AP) (AP)
With these extreme weather conditions hurting Canadian exports, France has been looking for other exporters for these seeds. High on that list are Russia and Ukraine, but with an embargo on Russian exports and the war raging in Ukraine, there is no solution in sight in the near future.
Max Matsepliuk works for a Ukrainian export company that deals with farmers to export Ukrainian grain.
Although Ukrainian mustard seed production is lower compared to Canadian exports, mustard seed prices have skyrocketed significantly in the past year, and Matsepliuk is confident that this is creating incentives for Ukrainian farmers to grow- the bear.
The problem is that most of the fields are in southern Ukraine, Mykolaiv or Kherson, currently occupied by the Russians.
“The southern parts of Ukraine were the strongest in terms of mustard seed cultivation. In the West it is quite rare,” he said.
“Some farmers do grow … but that’s not enough for potential buyers in Europe. They want more and they want consistent quality.”
Matsepliuk fears the seeds have been stolen by Russian occupiers in the south and sold at a low price. Thus, until these areas have been liberated, it is unlikely that Ukraine will be able to export mustard seeds.
Dijon mustard. (Fairfax Media)
Not everyone is suffering from this mustard shortage. In fact, local French producers who are not dependent on foreign exports have been overwhelmed by the current demand and their businesses are booming.
Ghislain Durand, who produces mustard in the town of Castelnaudary, in the south of France, usually takes a break in July to enjoy the summer.
But this year’s demand is too good an opportunity to pass up.
“I have to keep working through this mustard shortage, because I have an order surplus that was not expected, and I have to be able to make the most of this situation,” he says.
“It’s very beneficial to my business, I must admit. Over the last four months, the increase has been so violent and rapid that it’s hard to keep up.”
So cruel, in fact, that Durand’s profits have quadrupled.
Inside the new Russian Macca’s
At the tourist shops where Durand sells his mustard, people would buy a pot or two to take home. “Now, they take about 10,” says Durand.
“They see mustard and they jump on it.”
With Canada’s agriculture ministry predicting good yields for the upcoming crop season, things may return to normal next year.
Meanwhile, those who can’t get their hands on the lovely pots from local producers are turning to alternatives from tahini to wasabi to add that much-sought-after kick to their meals.