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.
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. 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. 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. 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.
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. A chutney made with dried fish has been thought to have soothing properties, such as when a person is suffering from
malaria.
Anglo-Indian and British , 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. 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.
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. In 1896, Edward Palmer founded
Veeraswamy & Co. in London, importing chutneys, spices, and curry pastes from India. Instead of Indian limes, mangoes, and
tamarind, British cooks used fresh fruits and vegetables such as apples,
marrows, and onions, Western-style chutneys may include spices and flavourings such as
salt,
garlic, tamarind,
onion or
ginger. 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.
To other countries to the Caribbean; some later settled there, bringing their cuisine with them. In
Trinidad and Tobago, chutneys are mostly made from green mangoes, coconut or tamarind. Indian pickles (
achar) and chutneys such as mango chutney are used in
Malaysian cuisine. 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. In Australia, "Tiger Chutney. Pawpaw and Mango, made by the Indian Condiment Co." was advertised in the 1950s. 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. In the 21st century, a World Chutney Day is celebrated annually on 24 September. == In culture ==