Alpe Pragas Chutney – Mustard Bell Pepper and Chili
The Mostarda Bell Pepper & Chili is a chutney from Alpe Pragas, a spicy-sweet creation for lovers of red bell peppers. Delicately seasoned with ginger and chili, it pairs wonderfully with strong hard cheese, Parmesan, and grilled meat or chicken. Gently cooked with little sugar and lemon juice, the natural color and interplay of aromas of the chutney ingredients are preserved.
- A highlight with cheese and cold meats
- Not just sweet, but also spicy-hot
- For refining dishes
- Low 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. To explore exotic flavor worlds, in 2001, they decided to create a line of chutneys that would do justice to both local fruits and the exotic history of chutney. In collaboration with the award-winning chef and author of several cookbooks, Gerhard Wieser, sophisticated recipes were developed that found a wide and interesting range of applications.
Stefan Gruber does not produce "Mostarda di frutti" in the classical sense; his mustards are spicy-sweet or sweet-hot combinations of vegetables, fruits, spices, and mustard powder. His pleasantly sharp mustards go well with various types of cheese, with raclette and fondue, with 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 called Mostrich, came 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 will see colorful mixed fruits hand-stacked 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, sharp, which they owe to the mustard powder essential for their production. Mostarda comes in a milder version, as in Cremona or Voghera, but also in very spicy, as is traditional in Mantua. All kinds of fruits are used, such as oranges, mandarins, cherries, grapes, apricots, pears, and figs. Probably the most famous 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 not only form a dream pairing with cheese; they belong 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 – a Complex 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 is then boiled 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 boiled until soft together with the syrup. Only now is the mustard powder or mustard oil added, as it evaporates with heat.
