Les oeufs de kuchela

That mysterious substance to the left is a plate of scrambled eggs fortified with Matouk’s-brand kuchela, a Trinidadian chutney with its roots in the more straightforward mango chutneys of India. It ain’t pretty, but it is sour, spicy, and a little bit sweet, and has quickly rivaled Yuzu-it for condiment dominance in my household.

Kuchela is far more complex and less assertive than the sort of mango pickle you might pick up at the chutney bar at Patel’s. It’s made from shredded green mangoes, garlic, Scotch bonnet peppers, vinegar, mustard oil, salt, brown sugar, and a spice blend, or amchar, of cumin, coriander, black pepper, fenugreek, and mustard. It’s typically used in curries, rice and beans, on roasted stuff, and with the Trinidadian specialties dhal puri roti and buss up shut.

But you can put it on any damn thing you like. I can’t possibly express its utility more lyrically than Calypsoist Remy RemBunction:

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