Amba (condiment)


Amba or anba is a tangy mango pickle condiment of Iraqi origin, that is also popular in Israeli cuisine. It is typically made of pickled green mangoes, vinegar, salt, turmeric, chili and fenugreek. It is somewhat similar to savoury mango chutneys.

Etymology

Mangoes being native to South Asia, the name "amba" seems to have been borrowed, via Arabic, from the Marathi word āmbā, which is in turn derived from the Sanskrit word āmra.

History

According to the urban legend, amba was developed in the 19th century by members of the Sassoon family of Bombay, Iraqi Jews originally from Baghdad. Iraqi Jewish immigrants brought it to Israel in the 1950s as an accompaniment to their Shabbat morning meal.

Variants

Israeli version

Amba is very popular in Israel, where it was introduced by Iraqi Jews in the 1950s and 1960s. It is one of the most common condiments in Israel, and it is used as a condiment in sandwiches, as well as a topping for hummus and other mezzes. One main difference with Israeli amba is that it is always made with unripe, green mangoes, which contribute to its more savory flavor as unripe mangoes taste less sweet. It is often served as a dressing on shawarma sandwiches, falafels, and usually on sabikh. and as an optional topping on falafel, meorav yerushalmi, kebab and salads.

Iraqi version

Amba is frequently used in Iraqi cuisine, especially as a spicy sauce to be added to fish dishes, falafel, kubbah, kebabs, and eggs.

Saudi Arabian version

Amba is popular in the Arabian Peninsula, sold in sealed jars or by kilo. Eaten with bread as part of nawashef type meals at breakfast or dinner.

Indian version

Amba is similar to the South Asian pickle achar. Some differences between Israeli and Indian amba are that Indian amba tends to be sweet, similar to a mango chutney, while Israeli amba is more savory. Indian amba is much thicker than Israeli amba often with large pieces of mango rather than small cubes, while Israeli amba is much more smooth and has a sauce-like consistency. Another difference is that Indian amba also contains oil and oftentimes mustard, while Israeli amba never contains these ingredients..

Amba in literature

Amba is also mentioned in literary works, mainly memoirs. In his memoir Baghdad Yesterday Sasson Somekh dedicates a whole chapter to amba. He uses amba to tell the story of the Iraqi Jewish community that had satellite communities in India and Southeast Asia. In the same chapter Somekh references another Iraqi, who wrote a short story about amba.
Khalid Qisthini, a columnist at Asharq al-Awsat, wrote a short article on remembering the foods of Baghdad of the past. His article is titled “Talking about the food of amba and samoon, which characterised Baghdad of the past." He remembers that in his youth, school children would rush out of school to get samoon with amba from the street vendor, who, if generous, would add a little more amba.