Alpe Pragas Chutney – Fig and Green Tomato Mostarda

Alpe Pragas' fig mostarda with fresh, green tomatoes is not just sweet, but also savory thanks to ginger, cloves, chili, and mustard seeds. Gently cooked with only a little sugar and lemon juice, the natural color and interplay of aromas of the ingredients are preserved. As a delicate accompaniment, it pairs perfectly with well-aged cow and sheep cheese, as well as strong mountain cheeses.

•     a highlight with cheese and cold meats
•     not just sweet, but also spicy and hot
•     for refining dishes
•     low in sugar
•     no artificial additives
•     no preservatives
•     free from colorings
•     no artificial flavors
•     gluten-free
•     vegan

Alpe Pragas from South Tyrol has long been known for its excellent fruit spreads, some of which are made with fruits from their own cultivation. In 2001, to delve into exotic flavor worlds, they decided to create a line of chutneys that would reflect both local fruits and the exotic history of chutney. In collaboration with award-winning chef and author of several cookbooks, Gerhard Wieser, sophisticated recipes were developed that offer a wide and interesting range of uses.

Stefan Gruber does not produce "Mostarda di frutti" in the classical sense; his mostardas are savory-sweet or sweet-spicy combinations of vegetables, fruits, spices, and indeed, mustard powder. His pleasantly hot mostardas pair well with various cheeses, raclette, fondue, cold meats, or BBQ. They can be used to refine dishes, glaze duck breast or ribs. Thus, they are not only a perfect accompaniment but also an indispensable cooking ingredient. Find your favorite combination, your food pairing match.

Mostarda – a centuries-old Italian tradition

Mustard fruits – Mostarda di frutta are part of Italy's cultural heritage. They were already mentioned in A. Tassoni's epic "The Stolen Bucket" in 1621. At that time, mustard, also known as mostrich, made its way from France, where it had become an indispensable spice in kitchens, to Italy. If you stroll through the shopping streets in Lombardy in Northern Italy today, you'll see colorful mixed fruits, layered by hand in huge decorative jars in the windows of small delicatessens or cheese shops. But they are not just sweet, like candied fruits; no, they are piquant, spicy, hot, which they owe to the mustard powder essential for their preparation. Mostarda comes in a milder version, as in Cremona or Voghera, but also in very hot, as is traditional in Mantua. All sorts of fruits are used, such as oranges, tangerines, cherries, grapes, apricots, pears, and figs. Probably the best-known German manufacturer of mostarda and fig mustard sauce is the company Barbieri. In terms of consistency, the famous Barbieri sauce, served with cheese, is more of a jelly, as the fruits are pureed for it.

But mustard fruits are not only a dream pairing with cheese; they are also found in the filling of "Tortellini di Zucca," i.e., pasta pockets filled with pumpkin, as well as with Bollito misto. They crown crostini with Parma ham, as well as roast beef or grilled duck breast.

Mostarda production – an elaborate process

First, the ripe fruit is peeled, cored, and cut into small pieces by hand. Then it is mixed with sugar in a 2:1 ratio and left covered for 24 hours. The fruits release juice with the help of the sugar. This juice is then cooked down without the fruits. Afterwards, it is poured back over the fruits to let them steep again for 24 hours, covered. The next day, the procedure is repeated. On the third day, the fruits are cooked together with the syrup until soft. Only now is the mustard powder or mustard oil added, as it evaporates when heated.