My Sunday bike ride to the Leucadia Farmers Market is still one of the highlights of my week. Besides my regular purchases, I’m always on the lookout for a vendor that has “breakthrough potential” that I can feature in a Lick the Plate column and at some point say to friends, “Yep, I had a feeling about that product.”
One that comes to mind is Bitchin’ Sauce, which I featured years ago. It has experienced explosive growth and now has national distribution. About a month ago I stumbled upon a booth selling Little Zing – The Original Danish Mustard Sauce. Well, first off, I’m a huge fan of mustard and this sounded different and somewhat exotic yet still approachable. A sample won me over immediately, so I followed up with owner Houston Buehrle, or “mustard man,” as he calls himself, to learn more.
LTP:
Let’s talk first about the history of the family recipe and how it got passed down to you…and the name!
Houston:
Little Zing’s story begins in Denmark, where my great-grandmother, Helle Jorgensen, created a saucy, sweet and punchy mustard that became a family staple. The recipe was never written down — just passed along by taste, memory and tradition. Eventually, my mom’s uncle became the last keeper of the recipe, and my dad had to beg him to hand it over. After some persistence (and probably a little guilt-tripping), he finally did.
From there, my dad started making massive batches in our kitchen and handing them out as gifts to clients and friends. It wasn’t for sale — it was just something he loved to share. But people kept asking for more. It became kind of legendary. When I lost my dad a few years ago, I kept coming back to the mustard. It reminded me of him — his generosity, creativity and love of bringing people together. I knew I had to bring it back.
In November 2023, I started selling it at farmers markets in Encinitas. Same Danish roots, same bold flavor, same recipe — now with a name and brand to match. It originally launched as Mermaid Mustard, a nod to Copenhagen’s iconic Little Mermaid statue. But after running into some trademark issues, I renamed it Little Zing. Honestly, it fits even better. We kept our mermaid logo as a node to its Danish heritage. It’s playful, punchy and perfectly describes what we’re all about.
LTP:
Tell me about the mustard category and where you saw an opportunity for Little Zing?
Houston:
When I first started Little Zing, I wanted to be sure there was space for something new in the mustard aisle. So I did what any curious founder would do — I walked the condiment section. What I saw was row after row of the same thing: four versions of yellow mustard, a handful of Dijons, a few stone grounds. All with nearly identical packaging, colors and branding. It felt stale. That’s when I realized we had something totally different — not just in flavor, but in vibe. Little Zing is bold, punchy, saucy and fun, so I knew it needed branding and packaging to match. After seeing what Liquid Death did to disrupt the water category, I was fired up. I didn’t want to just sell mustard — I wanted to shake up the whole shelf.
LTP:
Your flavor profiles are very unique and versatile. Tell me about that and some of your favorite applications for it.
Houston:
Honestly, it goes on just about everything — I use it every day. Meats, fish, veggies, pizza, potstickers, sandwiches — you name it. Sushi and poke bowls are probably the most out-of-the-box application I’ve tried. It actually works. Because it’s saucier than your average mustard, it’s super versatile. You can drizzle it on anything and instantly level up the flavor. Another fun application is to simply mix it with mayo — it makes a very good aioli type sauce and takes some of the kick out of the mustard.
LTP:
I met you at the Leucadia Farmers Market, but you already have solid distribution. Where can folks find you now and what is your plan for the brand?
Houston:
Right now, we’re really focused on growing in California. It’s where we launched, and we’ve been fortunate to land in some incredible local markets in the San Diego area — places like Seaside Market, Frazier Farms, Jensen’s, Siesel’s Meats, Iowa Meat Farms, Boney’s Bayside Market and Windmill Farms. Recently, we’ve also gotten into Bristol Farms and Lassens in LA, which has been huge for us. That said, word of mouth has been picking up quickly, and we’re now in about 100 stores across the country — from California all the way to New York. It’s exciting to see people connect with the product, no matter where they are.
So there you have it folks, another local culinary entrepreneur poised for explosive growth. As Houston mentioned, there are hundreds of applications for his mustard. I would suggest checking out the website that is packed full of recipes and add some Little Zing to your condiment collection now! Check them out at www.littlezing.com
