What Is Mango Pickle And What Does It Taste Like?

When it comes to essential jarred foods to keep in your pantry, classics like honey, coconut oil, and peanut butter are to be expected. When Food and Wine ranked Indian mango pickle among their favorite jarred pantry staples, that really caught our attention. The magazine points out that unlike its sweeter cousin, mango chutney, mango pickle seasons the sweet fruit with the savory flavors of mustard seed and chili.

Mango pickle also contains the spice fenugreek, used commonly in Indian and North African cuisine, which lends a sweet and nutty flavor similar to that of burnt sugar and maple syrup, according to MasterClass. The delicious condiment also contains asafoetida, a spice that's also known by its Hindi name, hing. Asafoetida is native to Iraq and Afghanistan, but is most commonly used in Indian and Pakistani dishes, according to Zest and Zing. Its funky odor earned asafoetida the nickname "Devil's Sweat," but don't let that intimidate you. Cooked and incorporated into products like mango pickle, it lends a full, umami flavor and complexity.

So what do you do with this, sour, savory and somewhat sweet condiment? Chef Andrew Zimmerman of the Proxi and Sepia restaurants in Chicago suggests serving it simply with rice, according to Food and Wine. Zimmerman also recommends mixing it with mayonnaise to make an aioli or adding it to a barbecue sauce, making an unexpected variation of "baby back ribs — or better yet lamb ribs." The Spruce Eats says to pair their version of mango pickles, from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, "with stuffed parathas bread and yogurt or with chapatis (Indian flatbread) and any vegetable dish."

You can also add the condiment to anything you're cooking, including curry or other Indian favorites for an unexpected "briney" flavor. The Food Network offers a recipe for cast iron vegetables with mango pickle. One discussion thread on Reddit contains suggestions for mango pickle, ranging from using it as a baked potato topping to adding it to your favorite chili recipe, a grilled cheese sandwich, and even with hard-boiled eggs.

The website Mishry has a ranking of what it believes to be the four best mango pickle brands. (Spoiler alert: they prefer Mother's Recipe Punjab Mango Pickle). Love bold flavor? Mango pickle should probably be in your pantry.