Garage Mustard
February 22, 2011
Dear Friends,
Regardless of what we offer (wine, food, philosophy), the Truffle Mustard is in a category of its own (as far as number of responses from every corner of the email list). Instead of rehashing the story, I’ve reprinted the intro offers below. The only thing that changes is the batch and the expiration date – this lot was produced last week and expires in spring/summer 2012 (although the mustard will last much longer unopened – up to two years).
We also have an EXTREMELY LIMITED number of tubes of two new Mustard King items – Saffron and Espelette Red Chile (that he sources from the Basque country) as well as two other long-term favorites that have not made an appearance for several years – Walnut and Curry (all expire in spring/summer 2012). Due to limited quantities, I will not describe them in detail but you can surmise their material and gustatory worth simply from reading the Truffle Mustard offer below...
Due to very strong response for the Mustard King items, please let Niki know your interest at your earliest convenience:
Moutarde Truffe (Truffle) 100-120g – $11.86 (the one and only)
Moutarde Noix (Walnut) 100-120g – $11.86 (This mustard has a “cult” following among the Mustard King items – featured in a number of top restaurants in Paris.)
Moutarde Cari (Curry/Honey) 100-120g – $11.86 (sweet and savory with a whack of Indian spice – almost as popular as the Truffle Mustard)
Moutarde Safran (Saffron) 100-120g – $11.86 (Italian Saffron makes this a luxurious and unique treat.)
Moutarde Espelette (Basque dried red chili’s) 100-120g – $11.86 (spicy, smoky and tangy in the same bite – not too hot, just right)
All Mustard King items are made with natural, small batch ingredients, wine and vinegar sourced from the corners of Europe and North Africa. Each batch is made by hand.
To order: members may email niki@garagistewine.com (please limit order requests to 12 x tubes Truffle mustard, 3 x Walnut, 3 x Curry, 3 x Saffron and 3 x Espelette)
Thank you in advance -
- Jon Rimmerman
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For additional background on the Mustard King, here’s my original introduction to The Mustard King from 2006/2007:
Tubissime (Mustard King)
Traveling around the wine road of life, you come in contact with characters that would make Tom Waits seem boring. These are real people with lives very different from our own but they have one thing in common - passion. They may be passionate about peaches, cigarettes or newspaper but they share a thread that makes their lives worth living and money is not their motivation - self-fulfillment and the love of life is. Tubissime is the result of just such a character, one of the new cultural icons of Paris.
Think Wallpaper meets Saveur meets modern Parisian hip culture and you will have an image of Paul Vautin's universe. Paul is intent on bringing Apollo 3 style food, in all its space oddity into your briefcase. When first led into his lair, it was like a Jim Jarmusch movie with past and present folding into one and other – antique bronze presses, strange mustard gadgets that only those deeply immersed in French mustard culture could understand.... Orleans vinegar, mustard seed grown in Zanzibar, salt from the ancient Himalayan sea beds or coastal areas of Norway - this was no mustard "factory" this was the home of the Tubissime King, and judging from his success in Paris, he may be set to produce the next cultural slang word that becomes part of our everyday consciousness (like Kleenex or the I-Pod): Tubissime.
What is Tubissime? Tubissime is something of a craze in Paris right now - it is a mix of modern day life, form and function (like a Design Within Reach apparatus). It is life on the go with no time to stop for food or to clean up after your mess - you have a suit on, you are in a hurry, you are on the Metro or in your car and you need flavor, flavor from a tube.
That's right, from a tube.
The French take condiments seriously and I don't mean Heinz ketchup. Ask a young Parisian for some mustard and he or she just may whip one of these from their laptop case. Packed under pressure in a shiny metal tube, almost like a raw toothpaste tube with very modern Danish graphics, the mustard can be carried anywhere and used on a moments notice. A small screw cap comes on and off and I've seen people in the Luxemburg Gardens squeezing a tube and then tossing it back into their bug-a-boo for next time. The mustards are made with natural/organic ingredients, in very small batches and they are not preserved – the vinegar (or sulfites in the wine flavors) keeps them fresh (although I would still keep them in the fridge after opening - the French do not seem to be as concerned about things like that) - I'm sure these will keep for quite a while but I don't recommend keeping them as long as that jar of Grey Poupon you've had open since 1997.
The inventor/philosopher of Tubissime, Paul Vautin, is intent on keeping his creation at a manageable level and each run is made from scratch with small batch ingredients and hands-on care. His desire is to meet the demands of the masses but I'm not sure how long that will last....for now, the Tubissime Mustard King will make mustard for you (from scratch) but we can only import his wares once/year (due to truffle availability, etc).
There are a multitude of flavors - each tube is about the size of a large tube of toothpaste – I have no idea what the ounces are (I think they are around 110-120 grams each).
- Jon Rimmerman