‘Anba/‘Amba

‘Anba/‘amba (pickled mango) is a tangy condiment popular in Iraq. It is usually imported from India in wide-mouthed bottles, which contain slices of unripe mango, vinegar, salt, mustard, turmeric, chili, and fenugreek seeds (hilba). It is the last ingredient that gives ‘anba its distinctive strong aroma. ‘Anba is originally Hindi for mango. The famous fourteenth-century Arab traveler Ibn Battuta describes how the Indians pickle the sour unripe fruit in brine and vinegar and eat it as an appetizing condiment with food. He compares its taste to olives. Preserved mango (sweet and pickled), collectively called anbijaat, was very popular in Iraq during Abbasid times. For a recipe.