Where did all the Chinese mustard go?

[princeofpork]

I have been ordering Chinese delivery in NYC for the past 15 years. Over the past 3 more and more places are leaving out the mustard. You get duck sauce and soy sauce but no mustard. What gives. I do ask for "fresh mustard" now which is great but if I forget I am screwed.

[howster]

I am in queens and everytime I always order the house mustard. latly I noticed thwe mustard did not taste the same as regular chinese home made mustard (I belive they use colemans english mustard powder) Any way they last few times I ordreded the mustard it tasted like regular guildens mustard put in a small cup????

[cutthroat49]

Thought I was the only one Always ask for mustard in delivery and never get it Yet when I pick they always give me extra of the prepared in the little cup I go back a lot of years with American Chineese and always remember a bowl of noodles and Duck sauce and Mustard on the table Good for dipping and Egg Roll

[The Chowhound Team]

We split a digression about how to make Chinese mustard at home to Home Cooking. You'll find it here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8032... .

[hungrycomposer]

I remember getting Chinese food in Nuremberg, Germany, and asking for mustard. The owner, who was Chinese, looked at me like I was insane. Kind of like I asked to put chocolate sauce on my egg roll. Is mustard a solely Chinese American tradition, or was this guy just giving me a hard time for fun?

[jman1]

Perhaps an East Coast thing.

[James Cristinian]

Not an East Coast thing, I've been eating it in Houston for over 30 years. I always ask for table mustard, and not packaged, which doesn't have the kick that clears out the sinuses.

[thew]

the other possibility is that chinese immigration to germany brought different cultures/flavors than chinese immigration to the USA

[Cheeryvisage]

I had lived in China for a big part of my life, I've never heard of this "Chinese mustard" thing. I didn't know anyone who used any sort of mustard on their meal. I'm guessing it's a Chinese immigrant invention, like fortune cookies. Or General Tso's Chicken.

[hungrycomposer]

Colman's mustard powder is often part of the equation, I wonder if it's some colonialist English influence?

[thew]

i still get it all the time. must depend on where you order from

[pbjluver]

My fav take-out place, Szechuan Kitchen, has stopped automatically dropping in the mustard, soy sauce and duck sauce packets in all the orders. There now is a glass bowl on the counter where you can take what you want. I only use the mustard so I make it a habit to take a few extra packets with each order. The packet mustard is so much better, tangier, than the Chinese mustard you buy in the small jar from the supermarket.

[Motosport]

I don't use the hot mustard packets but I save them anyway. Go figure?
I probably have 4 years worth in my pantry. Have they appreciated in value? Should I sell or hold on just a little longer?