Hedz, I love to make a hot mustard from powder, often just before the meal. But it seems that if I mess around with anything other than just the powder and water at first, I lose that pungent flavor. It's like the stuff never sparks, and I get that bitter taste someone mentioned. Once the basic mix has been made, I can tinker around with other flavors. Amaze your friends and confound your enemies: Get a completely ordinary mild "ball park" mustard, and mix in the hot sauce of your choice. You can be sneaky and use a yellow hab sauce ... FWIW the hottest horseradish I ever tasted listed mustard as an ingredient. I also saw mustard listed among ingredients in a take-out packet of wasabi. What was it someone said last year, about the Japanese observation on "inner" and "outer" heat? If I recall, mustard and horseradish have Inner heat, and chiles have outer heat. Right? I'm delighted to see a few white blooms on my Jamaican Hot plant. Some of the other plants have some new growth - it really makes me feel like the season has turned the corner. Alex Silbajoris 72163.1353@compuserve.com awaiting the Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival - the Jim C. of Ohio knows what I mean