Spotted: In my parents' fridge, suburban Chicago
Cost: $3.50 for an 8 ounce or $5 for a 16 ounce jar (plus shipping)
Attraction: Big see-through jelly jar of bright yellow mustard studded with pickle relish.
Where to buy: No real distribution outside of the Kingston, Ohio area; go to their Web site to order by the jar or case. Warning: Website thinks it's 1993.

Words cannot express the feelings I have for mustard. The roster of mustards I can't live without numbers 14. Since there is no such thing as a mustard for all seasons, I try to cover the bases, with mustards for sandwiches, salads, cooking, and dipping. Some mustards seem more utilitarian than others, but I'd no sooner part with my Ben's Sweet Hot Mustard than my house mustard, the Edmond Fallot Dijon. At its base, Ben's is classic yellow mustard, but with pickle relish and a little sweetness to balance the relish's sour. The heat of the mustard is moderate, more like a low burn at the end as opposed to the nostril-flaring intensity of a Chinese mustard.

So inspired was I when I found Ben's Sweet Hot Mustard (or rather, it found me) that I became obsessed with making my own pretzels just so I could have a perfect dipping agent for it. When I host parties I make tiny, three-bite pretzel buns to serve with a small slice of cured ham and Ben's. For a certain faction of us hot-dog-loving Chicagoans — the mustard-and-relish-only camp — Ben's makes the all-in-one condiment for ballpark-style dogs. Deviled eggs benefit from the mild sweetness and pickles, and I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the chipped beef cheese ball recipe on the company's Web site.

Giving the gift of mustard: The best little condiment stop in the country is the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum, just off US 18 outside Madison, Wisconsin. When it comes to gift giving, the mustard museum is my clutch player. Far from home or just have someone stubborn to buy gifts for this year? The mustard museum can help. Online or in the store, you can choose from hundreds of mustards, which the museum will gift pack and ship for you. Nobody dislikes mustard. Useful, fun, and everyday, you can push someone toward the gourmet without their having to ask, "What do I do with this?" (eh hem, cough, truffle oil). May I recommend the Arran Scottish herb and the Tiroler horseradish mustard in a tube (for the gal on the go…)?

Maggie Savarino Dutton is an industry veteran who has played bartender, sommelier and line cook and who now consults. She writes "Search & Distill," which appears every Wednesday in the Seattle Weekly, and maintains The Wine Offensive, her blog about wine, food, and anything else that might be discussed over the bar.

"Point of Purchase" photograph by Roadsidepictures via Flickr (Creative Commons), "Pantry" photograph by Áslaug Snorradóttir.