I tried 5 honey mustards, and the winner was so good I ate it straight off the spoon

On a pretzel, on a sandwich, even just on a spoon—this sweet and tangy spread is absolutely delicious.

I've been a mustard fan my whole life. Even at a young age, when everyone I knew was smitten with ketchup, I was reaching for a bottle of the tangy yellow stuff. I know it's not a condiment for every occasion, but it's the one I use most often.

While Dijon and stone-ground mustards are my favorites, I have a soft spot in my heart (and belly) for a good honey mustard. It's the unsung hero in the mustard world, and I wanted to determine which brand made the best. To find the winner, I tested five store-bought honey mustard brands to determine which had the best flavor and texture, and ranked them.

How I Chose the Honey Mustard Brands

Because I wanted to make sure that the honey mustard brands I tested were widely available, I put on my coat, got in my car, and went to several local grocery stores. I hit the condiment aisles and scooped every honey mustard they had. It turns out, there were only five brands total, which you’ll see tested below. 

How I Tested the Honey Mustard Brands

Luckily, I live in a house where everyone is a big mustard fan, which made tester recruitment easy.  I poured a bit of each mustard into its own bowl, labeled only with a number. I had testers taste the mustard from a spoon, then again with a pretzel for dipping. I asked them to consider flavor (sweetness, tanginess, etc.) and texture, and then rank them from most to least favorite. Here are the results. 

The Best Store-Bought Honey Mustard Brands, Ranked

5th Place: Koops' Honey Mustard

When it comes to balance, this mustard just doesn't have it. Testers found it overly sweet, with one calling the honey flavor "too much." The sweetness masked any vibrant mustard flavor, which left it tasting one-note, according to one tester.  We all missed the usual mustard tanginess and felt this honey mustard might be best suited for salad dressing, where the addition of vinegar could help mellow the sweetness.

4th Place: Target Market Pantry Honey Mustard

Target's brand of honey mustard is the opposite of Koops'. It mostly tastes of mustard, with little sweetness. Testers thought it was fine, but not anything special. Save this one for mayonnaise-based fruit salads or for your next batch of deviled eggs.

3rd Place: French's Honey Mustard

Wowza! This one had a little kick, which testers said reminded them of horseradish. They also said this honey mustard had a better flavor balance than Koops' and Target's, but still felt like it was "on the sweet side." They didn't care for it on its own but said it was excellent with a pretzel, confirming it might be a nice addition to your next deli sandwich.

2nd Place: Maille Honey Dijon Mustard

Maille almost claimed first place for its punchy, tangy flavor that wasn't overly sweet: "This mustard has a nice balance of sweetness and acidity," one tester noted. The texture was a bit thinner than the winner's, but it only had a marginal impact on their decision. Overall, Maille's honey mustard is delicious, just not as delicious as the winner.

1st Place: Inglehoffer Honey Mustard

In the small world that is honey mustard, Inglehoffer does it best, hands down. All the testers loved its thick, creamy consistency, which made it feel almost indulgent. Texture aside, it was the flavor that made Inglehoffer the winner, striking the perfect balance between all the things that make honey mustard an epic condiment—sweetness, acidity, and complexity. It was delicious on a spoon, delicious on a pretzel, and likely delicious just about any way you'd want to use it.

Read the original article on Allrecipes