MUSTARD
18th February 2024
QUOTATION
He a good wit? Hang him baboon.
His wit’s as thick as Tewkesbury mustard.
There’s no more conceit in him
Than is in a mallet.
FALSTAFF: Henry IV, Part 2, Act 2, Scene 4
MUSTARD (White Mustard: Sinapis alba)
Mustard, the spicy paste made from the ground up seeds of the Mustard Plant, occurs several times in Shakespeare. In Taming of the Shrew there is beef and Mustard and in Henry IV Part 2, a unique glimpse into local foods of Shakespearean England, the thick Tewkesbury Mustard.
White Mustard is an annual plant in the Cabbage Family (Brassicaceae) with yellow flowers. It is native to Europe and across Asia and has been spread widely by cultivation.
More Information
BSBI Plant Atlas 2020: Sinapis alba
Folger Shakespeare Library: Search Shakespeare’s Works
Kew Plants of the World Online: Sinapis alba