Major Grey's Chutney

Last updated
A clear glass bottle from the 1904 World's Fair containing Sun Brand Major Grey's Chutney. Clear Glass Bottle Full of Major Grey's Sun Brand Chutney From the 1904 World's Fair.jpg
A clear glass bottle from the 1904 World’s Fair containing Sun Brand Major Grey’s Chutney.

Major Grey's Chutney is a type of chutney, reputedly created by a 19th-century British Army officer of the same name who, though likely apocryphal, [1] [2] [3] presumably lived in British India. [4] [5] Its characteristic ingredients are mango, raisins, vinegar, lime juice, onion, tamarind extract (occasionally), sweetening, and spices. [3] [4] [6]

Contents

It has been described as a mild chutney compared to others that have a spicier flavour profile. [6] In 1982, Major Grey's Chutney was described as being the most popular type of chutney used in the United States. [6]

The product was long associated with Sharwood’s Mango Chutney, Major Grey version, but this is no longer mass-produced for sale in the United Kingdom.

Commercial varieties

Vegetable samosas with Major Grey's Chutney Vegetable samosas with Major Grey's chutney.jpg
Vegetable samosas with Major Grey's Chutney

Commercial Major Grey's Chutney products typically contain similar ingredients, with some variations occurring in the formulations of the various products. [6]

India

Major Grey's Mango Chutney is mass-produced by Sun Brand in India [6] [7] [8] and by Desai Brothers Ltd. in Poona, India under the brand name Mother's Recipe, and has been exported to Singapore. [9] Originally all Indian condiments were fiery hot. Hence they were too spicy for the European settlers' palates. It is reputed that a British army major named Grey had a sweet variety of mango chutney made especially to suit his taste. Thus Major Grey Chutney is thought to have been born, made by Merwanjee Poonjiajee, established in the year 1876. Mango chutney & curry powder made under the "SUN BRAND" were some of the first of their kind to be exported from India.

North America

A number of manufacturers mass-produce a "Major Grey's Mango Chutney" for sale in the United States and Canada, for example, British brand Patak's [10] (who mass-produce a similar Mango Chutney for the U.K. market) and Sharwood's. [11] One of the oldest brands, reputedly the first manufacturer to popularise the chutney in the West, is Crosse & Blackwell, [5] [12] [13] now partly owned by the J.M. Smucker Company. It has been suggested that Crosse & Blackwell purchased the formulation for Major Grey's Chutney, "probably in the early 1800s". [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curry</span> Spicy Asian or Asian-influenced dishes

Curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chutney</span> South Asian condiments made of spices, vegetables, and fruit

A chutney is a spread typically associated with cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sauce.

Indian cuisine consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to India. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samosa</span> Fried or baked pastry with a savoury filling

A samosa is a fried South Asian pastry with a savoury filling, including ingredients such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, meat or fish. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region. Samosas are often accompanied by chutney, and have origins in medieval times or earlier. Sweet versions are also made. Samosas are a popular entrée, appetizer, or snack in the cuisines of South Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia, East Africa and their South Asian diasporas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punjabi cuisine</span> Regional cuisine from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan

Punjabi cuisine is a culinary style originating in the Punjab, a region in the northern part of South Asia, which is now divided in an Indian part to the east and a Pakistani part to the west. This cuisine has a rich tradition of many distinct and local ways of cooking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Relish</span> Cooked, pickled, or chopped vegetable or fruit used as a condiment

A relish is a cooked and pickled product made of chopped vegetables, fruits or herbs and is a food item typically used as a condiment to enhance a staple. Examples are chutneys and the North American relish, a pickled cucumber jam eaten with hot dogs. In North America, the word "relish" is frequently used to describe a single variety of finely chopped pickled cucumber relish, such as pickle, dill and sweet relishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garlic chutney</span>

Garlic chutney, also referred to as lahsun chutney, lahsun ki chutney, lehsun chutney and bellulli chutney, is a chutney, originating from the Indian subcontinent, made from fresh garlic, dry or fresh coconut, groundnuts and green or red chili peppers. Cumin and tamarind are also sometimes used as ingredients. It is prepared in both wet and dried forms. The wet variety is made with fresh grated coconut and is typically served immediately after preparation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaat</span> Savory Indian-originated snack

Chaat, or chāt is a family of savoury snacks that originated in India, typically served as an hors d'oeuvre or at roadside tracks from stalls or food carts across South Asia in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. With its origins in Uttar Pradesh, India, chaat has become immensely popular in the rest of South Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Branston (brand)</span> British food brand known for its pickled chutney

Branston is an English food brand best known for the original Branston Pickle, a jarred pickled chutney first made in 1922 in the village of Branston near Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire by Crosse & Blackwell. The Branston factory proved to be uneconomical, and production was moved to Crosse & Blackwell subsidiary, E Lazenby & Sons in Bermondsey, London, where it invested in new buildings in 1924 and 1926, which remained in use until 1969.

Maharashtrian or Marathicuisine is the cuisine of the Marathi people from the Indian state of Maharashtra. It has distinctive attributes, while sharing much with other Indian cuisines. Traditionally, Maharashtrians have considered their food to be more austere than others.

Bhojpuri cuisine is a style of food preparation common among the Bhojpuri people of Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh in India, and also the Terai region of Nepal. Bhojpuri foods are mostly mild and tend to be less hot in terms of spices used. The cuisine consists of both vegetable and meat dishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mango pickle</span> Variety of pickles prepared using mango

A mango pickle is a variety of pickle prepared using mango. It is very popular in South and Southeast Asia. These sour/spicy pickles are also available commercially.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khandvi (food)</span> Indian snack food

Khandvi, also known as Patuli, Dahivadi or Suralichi Vadi, is a savory snack in Maharashtrian cuisine as well as in Gujarati cuisine of India. It consists of yellowish, tightly rolled bite-sized pieces and is primarily made of gram flour and yogurt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sev puri</span> Indian snack food

Sev puri is an Indian cuisine snack and a type of chaat. It is a speciality that originates from Pune, Maharashtra, India. In Pune and Mumbai, sev puri is strongly associated with street food, but is also served at upscale locations. Recently, supermarkets have started stocking ready-to-eat packets of sev puri and similar snacks like bhelpuri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green mango chutney</span> Indian chutney made from unripe mangoes

Green mango chutney, also known as raw mango chutney, is an Indian chutney prepared from unripe mangoes. Ripe mangoes are sweet and are not used for chutneys as they are eaten raw. Green unripe mangoes are hard and sour, and they are cooked as chutneys. Mango chutneys are tangy in taste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomato chutney</span>

Tomato chutney is a type of chutney, originating from the Indian subcontinent, prepared using tomatoes as the primary ingredient. The tomatoes can be diced, mashed or pulped, and additional typical ingredients used include ginger, chilli, sugar, salt, aam papad, raisin, dates and spices and additionally onion, garlic and peanut or dal for the south Indian version. It can be prepared using ripe red tomatoes or green tomatoes. It can be eaten fresh after preparation, stored in a refrigerator, and can be bottled or canned and stored for later use. Homemade tomato chutney that is canned can have an improved flavor, due to the ingredients intermingling while the product is stored.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bread pakora</span> Indian and Pakistani fried snack

Bread pakora is an Indian and Pakistani fried snack. It is also known as bread bhaji. A common street food, it is made from bread slices, gram flour, and spices among other ingredients.

References

  1. "Chutney Origins". FoodReference.com. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
  2. Carpender, D. (2004). 500 More Low-Carb Recipes . Fair Winds Press. p.  442. ISBN   978-1-61673-783-2 . Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Kitchen, A.T. (2012). Simple Weeknight Favorites: More Than 200 No-Fuss, Fullproof Meals. America's Test Kitchen. p. pt151. ISBN   978-1-936493-20-3 . Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Scott, L. (2012). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sugar-Free Cooking and Baking. DK Publishing. p. 68. ISBN   978-1-101-58577-1 . Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Helstosky, C. (2014). The Routledge History of Food. Routledge Histories. Taylor & Francis. p. 330. ISBN   978-1-317-62113-3 . Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Sheraton, Mimi (July 10, 1982). "De Gustibus; Tea and Chutney: 2 Different Greys". The New York Times. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  7. Bladholm, L. (2016). The Indian Grocery Store Demystified. St. Martin's Press. p. 163. ISBN   978-1-250-12079-3 . Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  8. Profodcil Bulletin. Processed Foods Export Promotion Council. 1969. p. 22. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  9. "Mother's Recipe - Major Grey's Mango Chutney". www.mothersrecipe.com. Retrieved 2017-08-25.
  10. "Products - Major Grey Chutney". Patak's Indian curry products and recipes. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  11. "Our Ranges - Major Grey Mango Chutney". Sharwood's products. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  12. "Celebrating the summer favourite – mango pickle". Economic Times. May 3, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  13. "Classic Indian lunch recipes". The Guardian. August 17, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2017.

Further reading

Sn