Chutneys originated in India and the name comes from the word "Chatni", meaning a strong, sweet relish.

 

The original chutney of India was usually a relish made from fresh fruits and spices.

 

Chutney may be dry or wet; dry chutney is generally in the form of powder. In India, a chutney is often made to be eaten fresh, using whatever suitable strongly flavoured ingredients are locally traditional or available at the time. It would not normally contain preserving agents, since it is intended to be consumed soon after preparation. The Hindi translation of "to make chutney" is a common idiom meaning "to crush". This is because the process of making chutney often involves the crushing together of the ingredients.

 

They first appeared in Britian in the seventeenth century, beginning in the 1600 chutneys were shipped to European countries like England and France as luxury goods.

 

During the colonial era the British took it home and the recipe evolved, until the commercially made mango chutney ("Major Grey's chutney") became the British standard chutney.

Western imitations were called "mangoed" fruits or vegetables. In the nineteenth century, brands of chutney like Major Grey's or Bengal Club created for Western tastes were shipped to Europe.

 

Major Grey's Chutney is reputed to have been created by a British Army officer in the 1800’s during the height of the British Empire.

The tradition of chutney making spread throughout the British empire, especially in the Caribbean and American South where chutney is still a popular condiment for ham, pork and fish.

Commercially made cooked chutneys are still popular in Great Britain, and are usually made of fruit (usually mangos, apples or pears), onions and raisins simmered with vinegar, brown sugar and spices for about two hours.

Chutneys are served with almost every meal in India, especially as relishes with curries, but also as sauces for hot dishes (especially meats). They can be fresh or cooked, and are made from a wide variety of ingredients. They range in flavor from sweet or sour, spicy or mild, or any combination of these; they can be thin or chunky and can be made with fruits or vegetables or both.

While Indian chutneys are delicious additions to curries, most cooks wouldn't want to serve them on ham, roasts or sandwiches. Usually freshly prepared as opposed to cooked, Indian chutneys don't contain vinegar or added sugar. They can be as hot as the sun, and their consistency is often runny, unlike the sweet, sticky, jam-like chutneys of the West.
 

 

Chutney and relish are often used interchangably as condiment terms. The confusion is understandable. Chutneys can be savory, and relishes can be sweet. In general, chutneys have a chunky spreadable consistency much like a preserve, whereas relishes are hardly cooked, use less sugar if any, and are more crunchy to the bite.

 

 

In ancient times a spice seems to have been defined mare as anything that bore a strong aroma. Thus herbs, spices and incense could all come under the label 'spice'. Perhaps the most important aspect of an ancient 'spice' was that it should not be perishable and could be tarnsproted for many months with little loss of pungency. Please check the Spice page for more information