Mustard
in the form which at present prevails in England, was not known before 1729. Its old English name was senvy, from sinapis. The seeds, either whole or coarsely pounded, were boiled in vinegar or must-whence the name, meaning a kind of pickle. The French to this day adhere very much to the old form; they grind the seeds to a fine flour, mix them with tarragon vinegar, and present them for use thus moistened. English mustard as we now have it was the invention of an old lady, Mrs. Clements of Durham. She ground the seeds in a mill exactly like wheat, and sold it as a very fine flour. She kept her secret and made a little fortune out of it, trotting about from town to town on a packhorse for orders, and contriving to secure the patronage of George I. From her place of manufactory it came to be called Durham mustard; though in fact it was no longer mustard-that is, something steeped in must.