South African Fruit Chutney

Chutney itself has its origins in India and other parts of South Asia. With the mixing of cultures through colonization by the British in India, traditional jams increasingly incorporated more savory ingredients as well as spices. The Dutch had already brought enslaved South Asians to the Cape by the time chutney had gained popularity in Europe as a luxury food item; however, the popularity of chutney in South Africa came about through Cape Malay influences during the Dutch enslavement of Malays and Indonesians.

The Afrikaans word for chutney is blatjang, which may have stemmed from Indo/Malay roots of a word describing chutney. You will find the word "blatjang" on a bottle of Mrs. Ball's chutney; the word is written as the Afrikaans translation, implying that chutney and blatjang are one in the same thing. However, many South Africans will still make a distinction between fruit chutney and blatjang, with the latter almost always consisting of fresh or ​sun-dried apricots, and boasting extra heat from chiles along with a smoother consistency. Whichever word you choose, it is fair to conclude that every blatjang is a chutney, but not every chutney is a blatjang.