Thessaloniki Mustard

One of my favourite condiments is mustard and my affinity has nothing to do with that yellow ballpark stuff most of you are familiar with but it from my first taste of good mustard…in Thessaloniki of all places! My first trip to Greece was in 1974, accompanied by my mother who had not seen her family seen 1968 (when she emigrated to Canada). I met my mother’s side of the family for the 1st time: grandparents, wonderful aunts and uncles (I was spoiled as I was the firstborn), and a handful of cousins.

Greece saw the fall of the military Junta in 1974 and I used to see uncles abruptly leave for military duty – caused by the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus. Greece also saw a return to democracy with the return of exiled politician Konstantine Karamanlis – the man also responsible for bringing Greece into the European Union. Hold on…the food aspect of this post is coming.

Konstantine Karamanlis was to arrive from Paris to Thessaloniki (Greece’s second largest city) to be be greeted by ecstatic Greeks welcoming him and a new age of hope, prosperity for this country that deserved better. Karamanlis arrived in Thessaloniki to attend the Thessaloniki International Fair (and he was a Macedonian from nearby Serres). My uncle (Theo Mitso) took my mother, myself and relatives jammed into his Opel station wagon and we set out to greet Karamanlis in what I remember as being a parade of sorts with thousands of people lined on either side of the road to see and greet Karamanlis. I remember the pure euphoria of the people as this next great hope for Greece arrived.

I also remember attending the Thessaloniki International Fair. It was a combo of amusement park and pavilions set up by visiting countries and companies wishing to increase trade with Greece. Funnily, I remember Chinese men speaking Greek at the China pavilion. I thought it strange that anyone other than Greeks spoke Greek!

As a kid I remember the amusement rides – the usual GO-KARTS, merry-go-rounds and other whirly rides that kids go looopy for. I also remember the food – the inspiration for today’s post and product feature – mustard. In the those days, the Thessaloniki Fair would sell these thin red sausages in a toasted bun with a mild mustard that had a hint of sweetness balanced with mustards tart flavour and it was runnier that what most are used to. I loved this mustard with sausages and during the Fair, Fix Hellas beer brewed/sold a dark beer for the coarse of the Fair.

I later would taste such house made mustards at these small grill shacks that lined Polytechnio Street where Tsimiki ended. Locals would begin eating house made keftedes on parchment that would be served with sliced onions, tomatoes, bread and a basket of bread. Options were a hot pepper, a slab of Feta and your choice of drink…restina or beer.

Again, this runny, sweet and sour mustard would enthrall me. I would squirt some onto my parchment paper, sprinkle some Boukovo and swipe the keftedes or loukaniko (sausage) into this golden condiment. Only few shops in Thessaloniki still make this mustard and when I do discover it – the shop instantly becomes a fave of mine.

This past May when in Greece, I met the folks who run Ergon Greek Food shops and one of their signature products is their Thessaloniki Mustard. The first taste of this mustard took me back to 1974 when I had that slim loukaniko in a toasted bun with that mustard. I found some slim lamb sausages at the butchers and they instantly reminded of the loukanika served at the Thessaloniki Fair.

I paired the sausages with some grilled asparagus as they are in season and go very well with this mustard. I grilled some homemade bread, rubbed some garlic and drizzled olive and sprinkled salt and Greek oregano. Grilled onions also fitted on the plate and an ice-cold beer (or two) rounded out the meal.

Ergon’s Thessaloniki Mustard can be found at their main shop on Gregory Palama in central Thessaloniki (5 Grigoriou Palama, 54622 Thessaloníki, Greece) and at their second location in Sani Resort’s Marina area.