Interview with Bonnie Wholegrain
Interviewer: You are the first Mustheb interview partner. I thank you for that. I heard you don't like being in the public eye. That's why I thank you all the more. Let's get started right away. Can you please introduce yourself? And where do you prefer to spend your time when not in public?
BW: Well, my name is Bonnie Wholegrain, I am a tasty wholegrain mustard, as my name reveals, well and I am pretty … but instead of being in the limelight, I prefer to live in a refrigerator.
Interviewer: I see. Are you a German mustard?
BW: You don’t have to think just because I am a mustard I am not aware that a question about citizenship or nationality is not allowed. But I will make an exception and then you give the answer to yourself. Made by a German mustard maker in the Scottish Hebrides following a French recipe, using organic Polish and Canadian mustard seeds, French white wine, English white wine vinegar, Scottish bee honey and Atlantic sea salt … well, no, I don't think I'm a typical German mustard. What do you think?
Interviewer: Erm, ok, next question: Can you tell us a little about your life. How is one born a mustard?
BW: The beauty is that all the mustard seeds we contain are first bathed in an incredible amount of white wine until every last drop is absorbed. There is also salt and vinegar that provide two more flavours. Oh there is our beloved friend, the delicious blossom honey collected from Scottish honey bees. With the rhythms of Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 we all find together until we swing in perfect harmony.
Interviewer: And does your environment have an influence on the production or maturation?
BW sighs and rolls his eyes: Yes, of course. As I said, when different flavours come together you might think that any one of them would want to dominate. But that is not happening with us. In the peaceful surroundings of the Outer Hebrides, in this unique landscape of Harris, pah ... you don't want to play yourself in the foreground because you very quick realise that all together are better then just one of us und you just enjoy being made and keep quiet. Yes, the environment has a big impact on the outcome! Oh, and there's the big love from our mustard maker. It is just not possible to play the first violine. You just want to please her and give something back.
Interviewer: Who would you most like to give yourself to?
BW: Finally a profound question. Thank you for that. So, all Bonnies are best with people who appreciate a good cuisine pleasure. When the lid is opened, we immediately release our scent. And it's wonderful for us when the person who opens the lid sniffs us, maybe even closes their eyes and thinks for a moment about how they got us. Sometimes we are gifted, sometimes a chance find, but very often a conscious purchase .... but then, when a spoon dips in, we are ready to give our lives. Whether we go into dressings or sauces, on sandwiches or in pies, whether we are added in a mash or sprinkled on a fish is completely irrelevant. The main thing is that we taste good to the lid opener. That makes us happy. If we can spend our last seconds with a real mustard lover, then the whole journey has been worthwhile, then we gladly surrender to that moment.
Interviewer: impressive words. Thank you, Bonnie Wholegrain. Thank you dear audience. Stay tuned ... the Mustheb fellow 8-Pepper-Cèilidh will be our next interview partner and hopefully answering some more of our questions.
