If the most versatile condiment won an award, mustard would surely triumph: mustard is essential in marinades, salad dressings, sandwiches, chicken salads, and on sausages from bratwursts to kielbasas to hot dogs. Nigella Lawson reportedly keeps it in her purse.

Here in Portland, we enjoy a plethora of locally made mustards, and we put them to a taste-off.

Our methodology: We gathered Beaver Deli Mustard, Suzie’s Organic Yellow Mustard, French’s Classic Yellow Mustard, Inglehoffer Honey Mustard, Portland Organic Mustard, and Heidi's House Mustard (deli-made) from Edelweiss Delicatessen, and tasted them on our favorite freshly grilled (mostly) local hot dogs. We considered three flavor profiles—sweetness, heat, and tanginess—and their balance. One was a clear favorite, and some were...not. 

BEST MUSTARD

Heidi’s House Mustard from Edelweiss Delicatessen

This deli-made mustard is complex—a little sweet, very vinegary, and moderately spicy, with beer for a little maltiness and smoothness. You can see the herbs in it, with flecks of green and red and black, much like a Cool Ranch Dorito. “It’s just delicious; I would lick that off my plate,” said one tester. Though it's pricier than other mustards ($7 for eight ounces), its complexity means that you can just add mustard to your dog, without the need for relish or (god forbid) ketchup. “It’s like a multipurpose condiment,” said another tester.

Good Mustards

Beaver Deli Mustard

This mustard stood out from the crowd with its whole mustard seeds, nestled into the otherwise smooth mixture for a slight crunch and burst reminiscent of popping boba. “This is delicious. I hate that I like something that has a beaver on it,” said our University of Oregon alumnus tester. But some weren’t sold on its unique texture and hint of horseradish: “I don’t know if I’d want this on my hot dog, but maybe on a turkey sandwich,” said another tester.

Suzie’s Yellow Mustard

This mustard's color is less crayon-yellow than French’s and presented no sweetness or heat, just plain mustard—and sometimes that's exactly what you need. “Maybe I'm basic, but that’s exactly what I’d want on my hot dog," said one tester. Another commented, “I would put this in my tuna salad or potato salad as a base note."

Not so great mustards

Inglehoffer Honey Mustard

This brownish-yellow number leaned a little too heavy on sweetness, without enough heat or tanginess to balance it out. As a result, we added more mustard to get more mustardiness, resulting in a too-sweet hot dog. A quick peek at the nutrition facts revealed that this mustard contains a whopping two grams of sugar per teaspoon, so squeeze modestly. “I’d maybe use it as a marinade for chicken, but not as a mustard,” said a tester.

French’s Yellow Mustard

We included the barbecue classic for comparison’s sake—and its performance was lackluster compared to local options. It had more tang and heat than Suzie’s Organic Yellow Mustard, but it was overall one-note. “I think I prefer Suzie’s,” said one of our tasters. “I agree,” chimed in others.

Mustard To Avoid

Portland Organic Mustard

We were shocked by how much we disliked this one, particularly given our fandom of Portland Organic Ketchup. It's the same bright yellow hue as French’s, with an overwhelming dose of apple cider vinegar. “All I taste is apple cider vinegar. And I like apple cider vinegar, but I don’t like this,” said one tester. “Ew. That’s gross,” said another. “It almost tastes fermented,” another chimed in. Avoid.