Boetje's Mustard is a Quad Cities-and national-favorite. Beginning in 1889, Fred Boetje began making stoneground Dutch mustard in his garage in Rock Island, Illinois. Using the same recipe today of water, mustard seed, sugar, salt and distilled vinegar, Boetje's tops all mustard sales in the local retail market. It even outsells the big three-French's, Kraft and Plochman-by 7 to 1. In a survey by Illinois Magazine published in its July 2002 issue, Boetje's was voted to be the "Best Illinois food product" in Northern Illinois.
The Quad Cities is actually better than, well-sliced bread! Otto Frederick Rohwedder of Davenport, Iowa, invented a machine to slice bread in 1912. He incorporated a wrapping device into his machine in 1928. John Hansen, the plant supervisor, had an idea for a better blade so he started his own company in 1933, the Hansaloy Corporation. Hansaloy is still the world's largest producer of bread slicing blades. Each blade is capable of cutting 50-75 loaves per minute on production lines.
