Chutney

{{Short description|South Asian condiment}} {{good article}} {{About|the condiment|the film|Chutney (film){{!}}''Chutney'' (film)|the genre of music|Chutney music}} {{Use Indian English|date=December 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox food |name = Chutney |image = Chutneykarnataka.jpg |caption = Chutneys, Bengaluru, India |alternate_name = ''blatjang'', ''chatni'', ''pachadi'', ''satni'', ''thambuli'' |region = South Asia, Britain, Western world |main_ingredient = Vegetables, fruits, salt, spices. |associated_cuisine = Bangladesh, India, Guyana,Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom }}

A '''chutney''' ({{IPA|hi|ˈʧəʈɳiː|pron}}) is a condiment associated with cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, some raw such as with coriander, others cooked with sugar, like mango chutney. During the British Raj, Anglo-Indian cuisine adapted Indian chutney and brought it back to Britain, where green mango chutney in particular became popular. In the Western world, chutneys may be made with local fruits and vegetables, or purchased.

== Etymology and nomenclature==

The word ''chutney'' derives from Hindi चटनी ''caṭnī'', Urdu چٹنی ''chaṭnī'',<ref>{{cite OED|chutney|access-date=17 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite Merriam-Webster|chutney|access-date=17 January 2020}}</ref>{{sfn|Davidson|2014|p=190}} from चाटना ''chāṭnā'' 'to lick, taste'.<ref>{{cite dictionary |entry=chutney |title=The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language |edition=5th |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |year=2016 |url=https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=chutney}}, see also [https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=chaat entry for chaat].</ref> In South India, chutneys are known as ''pachadi'' ({{langx|te|పచ్చడి}}, {{langx|kn|ಪಚಡಿ}}, {{langx|ta|பச்சடி}}, {{langx|ml|പച്ചടി}}, {{langx|mr|पचडी}}) meaning traditional South Indian sauces or chutneys served as side dishes. Roughly translated, a pachadi is a pounded or crushed plant.<ref name="Indianexpress2">{{cite web |date=2016-09-13 |title=Onam special: Here's what a traditional Onam sadhya consists of |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/onam-special-heres-what-a-traditional-onam-sadhya-consists-of-3028642/ |access-date=2016-09-13 |newspaper=The Indian Express}}</ref>

== Description ==

[[File:Chutney being hand-made.jpg|thumb|Pounding a chutney with mortar and pestle in India]]

In Indian cuisine,{{sfn|Raghavan|2006|p=255}} a wide variety of chutneys are used as spicy relishes, eaten in small quantities, to accompany plain staples such as rice.{{sfn|Davidson|2014|p=190}}<ref name="Pillai 2019"/> Indian meals typically comprise a dish of meat, a dish of pulses, rice or bread, a yoghurt relish (raita or dahi), and a homemade chutney.{{sfn|Jaffrey|1982|p=32}}

Chutneys can be broadly divided into two groups: simple fresh preparations that must be eaten immediately; and preserves, which are bottled and kept until required.{{sfn|Brown|1998|pp=347–361}} Fresh coriander chutney consists simply of the fresh green leaves ground up with flavourings, such as fresh green chili, lemon juice, salt, cumin, and black pepper.{{sfn|Jaffrey|1982|p=166}} Preserved chutneys contain fruits cooked with sugar and vinegar, and flavoured with spices such as garlic, cayenne pepper, and ginger.{{sfn|Jaffrey|1982|p=169}}

The flavourings for fresh chutneys are freshly ground each day, and include spices such as chili and ginger as well as herbs like coriander and mint. The body of the chutney may consist of fruits or vegetables, with regional variations. Coconut chutney is the most used in South India; herb and coconut is liked in Western India,{{sfn|Davidson|2014|p=190}} as is garlic chutney;<ref>{{cite news |title=4 Indian chutneys that you can whip up within minutes |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/4-indian-chutneys-that-you-can-whip-up-within-minutes/photostory/93405275.cms?picid=93405379 |access-date=15 November 2025 |work=The Times of India |date=7 August 2022}}</ref> while unripe mango chutney is preferred in North India. Chutneys made only with herbs are used in both Western and North India. Tomato chutney is consumed in all parts of India. In Kashmir, chutneys variously use sour cherries, pumpkins, radishes, or walnuts.{{sfn|Davidson|2014|p=190}}

In Bangladesh, chutneys may be sweet or spicy-hot, and use a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. An acid foodstuff like lemon juice, tamarind, or vinegar is often added to preserve the chutney. These are flavoured with spices including asafoetida, coriander, cumin, and fenugreek, and herbs such as green coriander and mint.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hossain |first1=Mahmud |last2=Kabir |first2=Yearul |title=Ethnic Fermented Foods and Alcoholic Beverages of Asia |chapter=Ethnic Fermented Foods and Beverages of Bangladesh |publisher=Springer India |publication-place=New Delhi |date=2016 |isbn=978-81-322-2798-4 |doi=10.1007/978-81-322-2800-4_3 |page=73–89}}</ref>

<gallery class=center mode=nolines widths=180 heights=180> File:DakshinChutneys.jpg|South Indian-style chutneys, Bangalore File:Chutneys.jpg|Chutneys served with the main dish in an Indian restaurant, Canada File:MangoChutney.jpg|Mango chutney, America File:Pesarattu and Ginger chutney.jpg|''Pesarattu'' bread with ginger chutney, Pakistan File:Fresh coconut chutney.jpg|Fresh coconut chutney, Bangalore File:Pudina_Chutney.jpg|Mint chutney, India File:TomatoChutney.jpg|Homemade tomato chutney, America </gallery>

== History ==

The historian of food Pushpesh Pant suggests that basic chutneys could be the first foods prepared by hunter-gatherers, as they crushed seeds, fruits, and berries to a paste and ate it with raw or cooked foods, making them more palatable.<ref name="Pillai 2019">{{cite web |last=Pillai |first=Pooja |title=Finger-lickin' good: The story of chutney in India |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/finger-lickin-good-chutney-recipes-5967892/ |publisher=The Indian Express |date=8 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="Barua 2021">{{cite web |last=Barua |first=Ananya |title=How Did India Get Its Yummy Chutneys? Here's The Story & a Map That'll Leave You Hungry |url=https://thebetterindia.com/256876/indian-food-recipes-history-chutney-map-origin-mughal-cuisine-shah-jahan-zero-waste-cooking-ana79/ |website=The Better India |access-date=28 December 2025 |date=15 June 2021}}</ref>

=== Indian cuisine ===

Several accounts of the early 16th century describe chutneys being eaten. Duarte Barbosa's ''Book of Duarte Barbosa'', written around 1516, narrates scenes in the far south of India of chutney being served to the raja in silver dishes alongside curries and sauces.<ref>{{cite book |last=Achaya |first=K. T. |author-link=K. T. Achaya |title=A Historical Dictionary of Indian Food |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-19-564254-6 |location=Delhi |page=210}}</ref> The ''Krishnamangal'', ascribed to Krishnadasa Kaviraja and published around a decade later, describes chutney prepared in Bengal in a worship context, accompanying dishes including greens and soups.<ref>{{cite book |last=Achaya |first=K. T. |author-link=K. T. Achaya |title=Indian Food: A Historical Companion |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-19-564416-6 |location=Delhi |page=[https://archive.org/details/indianfoodhistor0000acha/page/128/ 129] |orig-year=1994}}</ref>

The kitchens of the Mughal court prepared feasts of many dishes, including numerous chutneys with ingredients as diverse as dried fruits, rose petals, and saffron.<ref name="Times of India 2024">{{cite news |title=How did Chutneys came to the world? History and 5 most popular chutneys |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/how-did-chutneys-came-to-the-world-history-and-5-most-popular-chutneys/photostory/98609603.cms?picid=98609620 |work=The Times of India |date=13 March 2023}}</ref> A story runs that the emperor Shah Jahan's (r. 1628–1658) physicians advised him to eat chutneys with herbs and spices for his digestion.<ref name="Barua 2021"/>

Chutneys have evolved across India into many regional varieties, such as Karnataka's coconut chutney.<ref name="Wahhab Singh 2016">{{cite book |last=Wahhab |first=I. |last2=Singh |first2=V. |title=The Cinnamon Club Cookbook |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-4729-3307-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JXv_CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA160 |access-date=October 26, 2017 |page=160}}</ref> Odisha's chaprah chutney, recognised with a geographical indication tag in 2024, is made with red ants as well as chili, garlic, and ginger; the ants directly make the chutney sour with their formic acid.<ref>{{cite news |last=Das |first=Chayanika |title=Odisha's red ant chutney gets GI tag, all you need to know about this superfood |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/travel/odishas-red-ant-chutney-gets-gi-tag-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-superfood-101704803577094.html |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=January 9, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Chawla |first=Medha |title=How the world eats ants |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/food/story/how-the-world-eats-ants-red-ant-chutney-2487694-2024-01-12 |publisher=India Today |date=January 12, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Chanda |first=A. |title=On the use of red ant ''Oecophylla smaragdina'' by the indigenous people of Binpur, Jhargram, West Bengal |journal=International Research Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences |year=2020 |volume=5 |pages=67–71 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346928091_On_the_use_of_red_ant_Oecophylla_smaragdina_by_the_indigenouspeople_of_Binpur_Jhargram_West_Bengal}}</ref> A chutney made with dried fish has been thought to have soothing properties, such as when a person is suffering from malaria.<ref name="Marak 2014">{{cite book |last=Marak |first=Queenbala |title=Food Politics |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-4438-5924-0 |pages=79, 113}}</ref>

=== Anglo-Indian and British ===

[[File:Major Grey’s Sun Brand Chutney from 1904 World’s Fair.jpg|thumb|upright=0.5|Major Grey's Chutney, 1904]]

In the 17th century, in the time of the East India Company, British travellers to India noticed the many pickles (''achar'') and chutneys. Sailors found that the preserve-like varieties were useful accompaniments to their maritime diet of salt meat and dry ship's biscuit. Quantities were brought home to Britain, whether by individual travellers or by merchants, soon to be copied by cooks.{{sfn|Collingham|2006|pp=147–148}}

During the British Raj, the British in India prepared many kinds of chutney in their Anglo-Indian cuisine. For the sweet chutneys, fruits such as mango are cooked with sugar, vinegar, and spices. Uncooked chutneys use ingredients such as green coriander leaves and coconut, flavoured with chili, tamarind, and sugar; these are prepared afresh each day.{{sfn|Brown|1998|pp=347–361}} Major Grey's Chutney, a sweet and spicy variety, was supposedly created by a 19th-century British Army officer of the British Raj, adapting Indian cuisine to Anglo-Indian taste. Its characteristic ingredients are mango, raisins, vinegar, lime juice, onion, tamarind extract, sweetening and spices. Several companies produce a Major Grey's Chutney, in India, the UK and the US. The formula was sold to Crosse and Blackwell, a major British food manufacturer, probably in the early 1800s.{{sfn|Helstosky|2014|p=330}}<ref name="Sheraton 1982">{{cite news |last=Sheraton |first=Mimi |title=De Gustibus; Tea and Chutney: 2 Different Greys |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 10, 1982 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/10/style/de-gustibus-tea-and-chutney-2-different-greys.html |access-date=October 27, 2017 |archive-date=October 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027125753/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/10/style/de-gustibus-tea-and-chutney-2-different-greys.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1896, Edward Palmer founded Veeraswamy & Co. in London, importing chutneys, spices, and curry pastes from India.{{sfn|Collingham|2006|pp=153–154}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item124203.html |title=Indian restaurant 1926 |website=British Library English Learning Timeline |publisher=British Library |access-date=28 December 2025 |archive-date=14 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914215339/http://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item124203.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> Instead of Indian limes, mangoes, and tamarind, British cooks used fresh fruits and vegetables such as apples, marrows, and onions,{{sfn|Collingham|2006|pp=147–148}}<ref name="Bateman 2017"/> with the addition of dried sultanas.{{sfn|Collingham|2006|pp=147–148}} Hot British spices like mustard powder and horseradish substituted for chili.{{sfn|Collingham|2006|pp=147–148}} Influenced by Anglo-Indian cuisine, chutney is often eaten with hard cheese or with cold meats.<ref name="Bateman 2017">{{cite news |last=Bateman |first=Michael |date=18 August 1996 |title=Chutneys for relishing |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/chutneys-for-relishing-1310363.html |access-date=27 October 2017 |work=The Independent}}</ref> Western-style chutneys may include spices and flavourings such as salt, garlic, tamarind, onion or ginger.{{sfn|Prince|2016|pp=20–22, 180-199}} A 1998 report on the European ethnic foods market stated that Britain had spent £7.7 million in the previous year on mango chutney alone.{{sfn|Collingham|2006|p=235 and note 58 to that page}}

=== To other countries ===

thumb|upright|Tiger Chutney, Australia, 1950s<ref name="Denmark Post"/>

In the 18th century, chutney spread from Britain to the American colonies, and then across Europe, eventually becoming a global dish.<ref name="Minnaar 2024">{{cite news |last=Minnaar |first=Michelle |title=Chutney Magic: Americans are finally embracing the legendary sweet and spicy Indian dip |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/sep/4/chutney-magic-why-americans-are-finally-embracing-/ |work=The Washington Times |date=4 September 2024}}</ref> In the 19th century, British merchants brought indentured Indian sugar workers to the Caribbean; some later settled there, bringing their cuisine with them.{{sfn|Davidson|2014|p=240}} In Trinidad and Tobago, chutneys are mostly made from green mangoes, coconut or tamarind.{{sfn|Winer|2009|p=214}} Indian pickles (''achar'') and chutneys such as mango chutney are used in Malaysian cuisine.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hutton |first=Wendy |title=Authentic Recipes from Malaysia |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |publication-place=New York |date=2012 |isbn=978-1-4629-0539-3 |page=32}}</ref>

South African Cape Malay chutneys are called blatjang, and are at least somewhat spicy. They can be made using fruits such as apricots, mangoes, or peaches, cooked with vinegar, brown sugar, onions, garlic, and spices.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pasiya |first1=Lutho |title=What is blatjang? The South African chutney named among 50 best dips in the world |url=https://thestar.co.za/sunday-tribune/lifestyle/2024-06-11-what-is-blatjang-the-south-african-chutney-named-among-50-best-dips-in-the-world/ |work=The Star |date=11 June 2024 |quote=As mentioned, blatjang is a South African chutney. There are many different varieties of this chutney, from slightly spicy to very spicy.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5111/apricot-blatjang |title=Apricot blatjang |first=Sara |last=Buenfeld |date=1 February 2008 |publisher=BBC Good Food}}</ref> In Australia, "Tiger Chutney. Pawpaw and Mango, made by the Indian Condiment Co." was advertised in the 1950s.<ref name="Denmark Post">{{cite news |title=Fresh Choice Groceries |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/258877689 |work=The Denmark Post |location=Albany, Western Australia |page=4 |date=3 June 1954 |quote=Tiger Chutney. Pawpaw and Mango, made by the Indian Condiment Co. "A treat to eat with any meat". 3/3 for 15 oz. jar}}</ref>

In 2024, chutneys (as a class) were placed 41st on the Taste Atlas 100 Best Dips in the World, while coriander chutney was 47th, green chutney 48th, and mango chutney 49th.<ref name="Minnaar 2024"/> In the 21st century, a World Chutney Day is celebrated annually on 24 September.<ref name="Minnaar 2024"/>

== In culture ==

The 2016 Hindi short film ''Chutney''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/bollywood/291116/watch-tisca-chopra-shines-phenomenally-in-brand-new-short-film-chutney.html |title=Chutney Short Film Review-Deccan Chronicle}}</ref> involves an excellent chutney alongside "an exceptionally creepy piece of storytelling" as a timid wife starts to spar with her husband's mistress.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.filmcompanion.in/article/chutney-short-film-review-rahul-desai |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123150422/http://www.filmcompanion.in/article/chutney-short-film-review-rahul-desai |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 January 2017 |title=Chutney Short Film Review: Tales On A Scandal |work=filmcompanion.in |date=28 November 2016 |accessdate=22 April 2017}}</ref> The 2024 Tamil-language comedy drama television series ''Chutney Sambar'', named for two contrasting condiments that together make a meal tasty, is described by ''The Hindu'' as "a delectable watch" because of the interaction of the contrasting characters who run two different food outlets.<ref>{{cite web |date=29 July 2024 |title='Chutney Sambar' web series review: Yogi Babu and Radha Mohan cook up a delectable hodgepodge |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/chutney-sambar-web-series-review-yogi-babu-and-radha-mohan-cook-up-a-delectable-hodgepodge/article68460100.ece |website=The Hindu |access-date=1 August 2024 |archive-date=1 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801133334/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/chutney-sambar-web-series-review-yogi-babu-and-radha-mohan-cook-up-a-delectable-hodgepodge/article68460100.ece |url-status=live}}</ref>

In countries such as Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad, with a significant Indian diaspora population where chutneys continue to be eaten, "chutney" names a music and dance tradition derived from the North Indian ''sthai-antar'' refrain-verse musical structure, with a rapid tempo; it symbolises the diaspora's cultural identity.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Manuel |first1=Peter |title=Chutney and Indo-Trinidadian cultural identity |journal=Popular Music |date=1998 |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=21-43 |url=https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1310&context=jj_pubs}}</ref>

== See also ==

{{div col}} * {{annotated link|Branston (brand)|Branston pickle}} * ''{{annotated link|Furikake}}'' * {{annotated link|South Asian pickle|Indian pickle}} * {{annotated link|Sooth (chutney)}} * {{annotated link|Ketchup}} {{div col end}}

== References ==

== Sources ==

{{refbegin}} * {{cite book |last=Brown |first=Patricia |title=Anglo-Indian Food and Customs |date=24 February 1998 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=0-14-027137-6}} * {{cite book |last=Collingham |first=Lizzie |author-link=Lizzie Collingham |title=Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors |date=2006 |orig-year=2005 (Chatto & Windus) |publisher=Vintage Books |location=London |isbn=978-0-099-43786-4}} * {{cite book |last=Davidson |first=Alan |author-link=Alan Davidson (food writer) |editor=Tom Jaine |chapter=chutney |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |edition=3rd |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-19-967733-7}} * {{cite book |last=Helstosky |first=Carol |title=The Routledge History of Food |publisher=Taylor & Francis |series=Routledge Histories |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-317-62113-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ul6vBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA330}} * {{cite book |last=Jaffrey |first=Madhur |author-link=Madhur Jaffrey |title=Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery |publisher=BBC |location=London |year=1982 |isbn=978-0-563-16491-3}} * {{cite book |last=Prince |first=Thane |title=Thane Prince's Jams & Chutneys: Preserving the Harvest |date=2016 |orig-year=2008 |publisher=DK |isbn=978-0241255667 |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/_/KwD2PAAACAAJ?}} * {{cite book |last=Raghavan |first=Susheela |chapter=Pickle and Chutney Blends |title=Handbook of Spices, Seasonings, and Flavorings |edition=Second |publisher=CRC Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-4200-0436-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bePKBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA255 |access-date=30 October 2017}} * {{cite book |first=Lise |last=Winer |title=Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago |publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press |location=Montreal |date=2009 |isbn=978-0-7735-3406-3}} {{refend}}

== Further reading ==

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304200247/https://www.canterbury.gov.uk/media/254581/chutneypicklesjamsoilsleaflet.pdf Food Safety in Production of Chutney, Pickles. Jams, Oils – UK]. Canterbury. * Dahiya, Ashish. ''Food of Haryana: The Great Chutneys''. Vol. 1. India. {{ISBN|978-93-81818-05-3}}. * Weaver, William Woys. "Chutney". Ed. Solomon H. Katz. ''Encyclopedia of Food and Culture''. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. pp. 417–418. 3 vols. {{ISBN|0-684-80568-5}}.

== External links ==

* [http://www.foodreference.com/html/artchutney.html Chutney Origins] at Foodreference.com.

{{Condiments}} {{Curry in the United Kingdom}} {{English cuisine}} {{Indian Dishes}} {{Pakistani dishes}} {{South African cuisine}} {{Authority control}}

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