Mostarda di frutta
Mostarda is not, as one might expect, the Italian word for mustard (that is senape), however mostarda di frutta is an Italian relish of fruits flavoured (often but not always) with mustard. It is made in various ways throughout Northern Italy and in the UK can be purchased in fine food stores and seen on the menus of smart restaurants.
In the kitchen
Mostarda di frutta is traditionally used to enliven plain boiled meats and poultry, however it also works well as an accompaniment to cheese and cured meats such as salami.
Varieties
Most famous is mostarda di Cremona, from Cremona in Lombardy, which features pieces of fruit such as apples, pears, oranges, mandarin and lemon, steeped in a mustard-flavoured syrup. Also readily available in Britain is mostarda di Voghera, which typically contains whole pieces of candied fruit - usually a mixture of fruits is included but single-variety versions are also manufactured. Mostarda di Venezia is a mustard-flavoured quince paste from Venice. However, mostarda di Carpi, made with apples, pears, quinces and grape must, is flavoured with orange and ground walnuts rather than mustard. Sicilian 'mostarda' is an entirely different food: a sweetmeat made from boiled grape must.
Preparation
Like chutneys and pickles, mostarda di frutta can be used straight from the jar. Even in Italy, households tend not to make their own.
