The Hirshon Zambian Pineapple Chutney

Citizens, the Republic of Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, neighboring the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west.

The capital city is Lusaka, in the south-central part of Zambia. The population is concentrated mainly around Lusaka in the south and the Copperbelt Province to the northwest, the core economic hubs of the country.

Originally inhabited by Khoisan peoples, the region was affected by the Bantu expansion of the thirteenth century. After visits by European explorers in the eighteenth century, Zambia became the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia towards the end of the nineteenth century.

For most of the colonial period, Zambia was governed by an administration appointed from London with the advice of the British South Africa Company.

On October 24, 1964, Zambia became independent of the United Kingdom and prime minister Kenneth Kaunda became the inaugural president. In 2010, the World Bank named Zambia one of the world’s fastest economically reformed countries.

For many Zambians, the staple food is maize/corn. The local cuisine is based on nshima, a stiff porridge made from ground maize. For breakfast, nshima is usually served thin and sometimes with sugar. For lunch and dinner, the consistency is thicker (like mashed potato) and it is eaten with a tasty relish of meat, fish or vegetables.

Other local dishes include ifisashi (green vegetables in peanut sauce) and samp (a crushed maize and bean dish). Thanks to the long influence of the British Empire on the country in the 19th century, chutney and curries from India became integrated into the local cuisine.

Citizens, use this delicious pineapple chutney with any curries you might serve – I’ve added a few extra spices and heat to the classic Zambian recipe. I’ve also changed the recipe to include microplaned zests of orange and lemon instead of leaving the rind attached to the fruit.

Battle on – The Generalissimo

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1 cup Anaheim green pepper (traditional recipe uses green bell pepper), deseeded and cut into ¾-inch cubes
½ cup onions, chopped into ½-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb fresh tomatoes, cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 whole peeled organic lemon (TFD prefers Meyer lemon) cut into ½-inch cubes
1 whole peeled organic navel orange cut into ½-inch cubes
Microplaned zest of orange
Microplaned zest of lemon
½ cup raisins
1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into ½-inch dice
¾ cup cup white vinegar
¼ cup fresh lime juice
½ cup white sugar
½ cup Muscavado sugar (preferred) or dark brown sugar
4 tbsp preserved candied ginger / aalepak, cut into thin strips
1 tsp ground cumin, toasted in a dry skillet until
fragrant and then ground
1 tsp mustard seeds, toasted in a dry skillet until
fragrant and then ground
1 tsp black peppercorns, toasted in a dry skillet until fragrant and then ground
2 (3 if you dig the spicy) Thai birds-eye peppers, finely minced
1 tbsp salt
1 cup fresh pineapple juice, as needed

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In a 1-gallon saucepan: combine green pepper, onions, garlic, tomatoes, lemon, orange, raisins, pineapple, vinegar and white sugar, simmer for 5 minutes.

Add dark brown sugar, preserved candied ginger, zests and salt, then simmer gently for 25 minutes. If mixture appears thick, add 1 cup fresh pineapple juice.

Pack into hot sterilized jars.