Book Box: Honey, Mustard, and the Art of Getting Back to Life

Returning home from a hospital stay, the author experienced a sudden bout of illness, marked by a severe cough and fever. A doctor friend attributed the collapse to the immune system's reaction after the adrenaline of crisis management subsided. In this weakened state, the author craved a familiar remedy: a concoction of ginger juice, lemon juice, basil leaf juice, and honey, a mixture previously used to soothe the children's sore throats.

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It’s your immune system finally collapsing now that the adrenaline and cortisol of dealing with a crisis is gone.

This simple, sweet potion, enhanced with extra honey, brought back memories of nurturing the children. The author reflects on honey's long-standing role in human health and culture, citing Lucy M. Long's book "Honey." The volume explores honey's connection to love and romance, illustrated by ancient depictions of Buddha receiving honey from a monkey and Winnie the Pooh's fondness for it. The honey remedy proved effective, alleviating the fever and allowing the author to return to daily life.

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Honey has played a major role in the nourishment and health of humankind from ancient civilization up to the present.

The narrative then shifts to the preparation of "egg sandwiches," a morning staple. The author describes assembling the ingredients – lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sesame-brown bread – and then focuses on the "pièce de résistance": homemade mustard. After years of trying various mustards, from pungent English Colman's to creamy French Dijon, and discovering Bengali kasundi, the author finally perfected a simple recipe for grainy mustard.

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Egg sandwiches, Mama.

Inspired by a chef friend, the recipe involves mixing yellow, brown, and black mustard seeds with balsamic vinegar, rock salt, and brown sugar, or honey as a substitute. This mixture, left overnight and then coarsely ground, yields a delicious paste that enhances sandwiches, salad dressings, and serves as a dip for roast chicken. The author concludes by quoting from "Mustard: A Global History," describing mustard as "stimulating and potent, but also simple and down-to-earth."

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Mustard is stimulating and potent, but also simple and down-to-earth.