Do you have any Grey Poupon?

DON

THOMPSON

Remember that old commercial when a rich guy asks another rich guy “Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?”, and the reply is “But of course,” and he passes over a jar? That is probably being asked more often these days, and the answer may be different now.

Grey Poupon is a brand of Dijon mustard. Dijon mustard is different from regular mustard as regular mustard is made with mustard seed and vinegar, while Dijon is made with mustard seed and white wine. It’s a little spicier, a little more tangy. I like Dijon mustard, especially with a ham or turkey sandwich. A couple of weeks ago I was buying groceries at an unnamed large supermarket in another town, and had Dijon mustard on my list. Any good brand would have been acceptable. Couldn’t find it at two stores, but didn’t think much of it, as there seem to be shortages now and then on different items over the last couple of years. I usually blame the pandemic, and the shortages don’t last long.

However, according to The Washington Post, BBC, NPR Radio, and other sources, there is a world-wide shortage of Dijon mustard, and it is not a short-term issue.

Some articles blame the war in Ukraine, but the story is spicier than that.

An article in the BBC said “Take a wander down any condiment aisle in France these days, and you’ll notice a pervasive absence between le mayo and le ketchup.” And ketchup is not used on anything in France except…wait for it…French fries. So, if they have ketchup but no Dijon, that is big news. The shortage seems to be impacting France the most as Dijon is a key ingredient in many French dishes.

Mustard cultivation in Dijon, France was mostly abandoned decades ago for higher paying crops, and what crops of mustard seeds that were grown in France this year were hit hard by insects. Climate change also played a role, according to Fabrice Genin, president of the Association of Mustard Seed Producers of Burgundy, who says milder winters have been more favorable to insects.

Mustard seeds have been supplied mostly by Canada, which produces about 80% of the world’s supply, but Canadian-grown mustard supplies dried up after several years of declining production due to dry summer weather, which tripled the prices of mustard seed.

So, the shortage is only partially the fault of the war in Ukraine. Rather than the brown seeds required for Dijon, Ukraine grows the white variety used in yellow and English mustard. When commercial users couldn’t get mustard seed from Ukraine, they turned to Canadian sources already suffering from crop shortages, which made the shortages even worse.

A Washington Post headline about the topic said “France’s mustard shortage fuels drama and panic in grocery stores.” The story related that France was “In the throes of a weeks-long shortage of mustard.” The story stated there was a one-jar limit on mustard which caused big drama in a little town when people cheated and bought two jars. French people who read about the problem and decided to stock up on extra mustard may be fueling the problem. Sounds like the toilet tissue hoarders in the USA last year.

I saw a few jars of Grey Poupon in Lawrence Brothers a few days ago. Maybe I overlooked a great opportunity, maybe I should have bought them and sold ‘em on the black market online in France for a huge profit, then bought a villa and retired!