Mustard is certainly one of mankind’s most ancient condiments. Mustard seeds have been found in Stone Age settlements, although food historians believe mustard was first cultivated in India around 3,000 B.C.E. Egyptians tossed the seeds onto their food, but it was the Sumerians who came up with the idea of grinding it into a paste and mixing it with verjus, the juice of unripe grapes. This technique was later perfected by Monks in the Dijon region of France, and, in fact, the monk’s word for mustard was mustum ardens — “must ard” — meaning “burning wine.”

By the 9th century, French monasteries were generating considerable income from prepared mustard sales, and by the 13th century, Parisian merchants included mustard among their daily sauces for sale. Pope John XXII of Avignon (1249-1334) loved mustard so much that he created the post of “Grand Moutardier du Pape” — Grand Mustard-Maker to the Pope.

The modern era of mustard may be said to have started in 1777 when two men, Maurice Grey and Antoine Poupon, used Grey’s recipe and Poupon’s money to start producing a high-quality prepared mustard. (If you’ve ever idly wondered what a poupon was or why it was grey, now you know.) Benjamin Franklin is said to have brought mustard back from England, introducing or at least boosting the condiment in the new world.

Although there are about 40 species of mustard plants, the ones used to make modern commercial mustard products are those producing black, brown and yellow mustard seed. Yellow mustard, which originated in the Mediterranean basin, is associated with bright yellow hot dog mustard; brown mustard, which originated in the Himalayas, is the basic Chinese restaurant mustard served in America and the basis for most American and European mustards. Black mustard is popular in the Middle East and Asia Minor, where it originated, but isn’t used much in the West.

Buzz Savories mustards are created in a manner very much like their ancient ancestors. They are blended of seven natural ingredients: yellow mustard seeds, brown mustards seeds, mustard powder, Olde Creamery Stout, cider vinegar, turmeric, allspice, salt, and honey. These ingredients when blended and packed and heated to 180 degrees F. taste slightly sweet (our Honey Mustard twice as sweet as our Spicy Beer Mustard), 100% savory and rich with layers of flavor.

The next time you spread Buzz Savories Spicy Beer Mustard on your ham sandwich and take a bite, savor it, and think to yourself, “You know, there’s a real history here.”

The honey you buy in the grocery store tastes all pretty much the same. It’s sweet and pleasant enough for most things, but it’s also a little bland. That’s because major manufacturers, in order to take advantage of economies of scale, often mix together and process honeys from thousands of hives, with little regard for where the honey came from.

That’s really kind of sad because honey, especially artisanal honeys such as Buzz Savories, have a distinctive terroir. Terroir (ter-wahr/) is a French term referring to the environmental factors that affect a crop’s taste and other qualities. Although most often associated with wine, terroir is also studied and appreciated in crops like coffee, chocolate, chili peppers, hops, tea and even cannabis.

The unique flavor of Buzz Savories honey comes from hives in rural south-central Nebraska where the bees feast on plum, chokecherry and elderberry blossoms as well as clover, wild mustard, prairie coneflower, goldenrod, aster and other flowers. Because it comes from a single source and is minimally processed, it retains its pure, delicate flavor with hints of flowers and spice.

Starting with Buzz Savories, of course, you can become more expert in your appreciation of artisanal honey by seeking out local brands online and when you travel. You’ll find there are wide variations in color and taste that are the product of the bees’ diet: bees that harvest nectar from avocado blossoms produce honey with a rich, buttery flavor, while bees that forage from orange groves in Florida make light, sweet orange blossom honey.

Why not get your friends to join you in an artisanal honey-tasting? You’ll find that artisanal honeys are often lighter, more delicate and subtle than the standard plastic honey-bear variety, and it’s fun to discuss, score and rank them like wine. Give it a try. And if one of your friends asks where you bought your Buzz Savories Honey, be sure to tell them.