Food mystery: Help me find/make the cilantro chutney of my childhood

June 22, 2021 10:05 AM

Somewhere around 1994-1998, I frequently ate a jarred cilantro chutney that I would LOVE to purchase again or perhaps figure out a recipe for. Can you help me find the jarred stuff (preferred) or recommend a recipe? Details inside.

Here's what I remember:
-It came in tall skinny jar, had an ivory label with refined-looking typeface and perhaps a hand drawn illustration?
-It was NOT Stonewall Kitchen but the branding had a similar vibe
-I believe it was called "cilantro chutney" but I might be wrong about the chutney part--could have been "pesto"
-A family member purchased it at the Barefoot Contessa store then in East Hampton, NY
-It was not an Indian-style cilantro chutney (like Nirav brand, which is delicious but a little different)
-Ingredients I think I remember: cilantro, walnuts(?), (apple cider?) vinegar, jalapeno or other chile
-Ingredients it did not have: mint, coconut, any kind of dairy
-It was a dark green, chunky paste resembling a pesto but not as oily, with a mouth-puckering quality from plenty of vinegar; I don't recall it being particularly hot/spicy but it was definitely a strong flavor profile

Thanks in advance!

posted by CiaoMela to Food & Drink (7 answers total)

Some options:

Silagy Cilantro Lime Sauce

SWAD Coriander Chutney

Mirch Masala Coriander Chutney

Epicure Zhoug Pesto
posted by scantee at 10:31 AM on June 22, 2021 [3 favorites]

This, of course, is not what you used to have, but zhoug is a dairy-free cilantro pesto. The Trader Joe's version is quite spicy, but may be close to what you are looking for?
posted by QuakerMel at 11:05 AM on June 22, 2021

Could the store have been carrying Hampton Chutney Co. products? "Gary & Isabel MacGurn started making their fresh chutneys in 1995, selling them first to local Hamptons gourmet markets and then in New York City to Fairway, Zabars, Balducci's and others." (The company's current version of cilantro chutney doesn't sound like what you describe, with cilantro, "coconut, dates, chilies, ginger, lemon juice, a handful of spices and a touch of salt.")
posted by Iris Gambol at 12:20 PM on June 22, 2021

Could it have been a chimichurri (rather than a chutney)?
posted by grateful at 2:12 PM on June 22, 2021

Have you tried calling the store and speaking to the manager? This article says she sold it to the manager in 1996 so they would possibly remember it.
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 11:57 PM on June 22, 2021

I don’t know about the flavor profile, but definitely
use a lot of the cilantro stems for flavor! Just chop them up and they’ll make your chutney that much better!
posted by Champagne Supernova at 11:45 AM on June 23, 2021

Response by poster: Thanks all! I appreciate the sleuthing.
I've had the TJ's zhoug and it's good! Not the same but delicious.
It was not Hampton Chutney Co. because I recall those as well and it was definitely a different product!
It could have been marketed as a chimichurri.
The Barefoot Contessa store has been closed for a few years.

I think I'll have to figure out how to make this. What better time than summer (here in NY) for trying out herb sauces? Thanks for the suggestion to use the stems.
posted by CiaoMela at 12:25 PM on June 23, 2021