What Is Blatjang? The South African Apricot Chutney Explained
Blatjang is a sweet and tangy South African fruit chutney, classically made with dried apricots. Here is what it is and how it is used.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Blatjang is a sweet and tangy South African fruit chutney, most classically made with dried apricots simmered with onions, vinegar, sugar and warm spices until thick and jammy. Of Cape Malay origin, it is a table staple served with bobotie, curries, bredies, cold meats and cheese, balancing sweet, sour and mild spice in one spoonful. The best known commercial version is Mrs H S Ball's Chutney, a fixture in South African kitchens. In the UK you can find blatjang and the ingredients to make it at African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Blatjang is a sweet and tangy South African fruit chutney, classically made with dried apricots.
- It is simmered from fruit and onion with vinegar, sugar and warm spices to a jammy, spoonable relish.
- It is of Cape Malay origin and is a defining South African condiment.
- It is served with bobotie, curries, bredies, cold meats and cheese.
- Mrs H S Ball's Chutney is the famous commercial version.
A jar of blatjang in the cupboard is a small piece of the South African table carried abroad. It is the sweet, tangy spoonful that turns up beside the Sunday roast, alongside a plate of bobotie, or on a slice of bread with a wedge of cheese. For many South Africans in Britain, that familiar amber chutney is the taste that makes a meal feel like home, the finishing touch a plate is not quite complete without.
There is real heritage in it too. Blatjang grew out of Cape Malay cooking, where dried fruit, vinegar and warm spice were brought together into something greater than the sum of its parts, and it became a condiment loved right across the country. To keep a jar in the fridge in Britain is to keep that tradition close, and to pass the blatjang across the table to a friend trying bobotie for the first time is to share it. That sweet and mellow tang is the quiet comfort of home.
What Blatjang Actually Is
Blatjang is a South African fruit chutney, sweet and tangy in equal measure, most classically built around dried apricots. Fruit and onion are simmered slowly with vinegar, sugar and warm spices until everything breaks down into a thick, jammy, spoonable relish. The result balances three things at once: the sweetness of the fruit and sugar, the sourness of the vinegar and the gentle warmth of the spice, so a single spoonful carries a rounded, mellow flavour rather than any one sharp note.
It is a defining South African condiment, a jar that belongs on the table rather than a dish in its own right. Of Cape Malay origin, blatjang reflects a cooking tradition that made rich use of dried fruit and spice, and over time it became a staple loved across the country and part of the wider world of South African food. The most famous commercial version is Mrs H S Ball's Chutney, which many South Africans grew up with and still reach for, though plenty of families make their own at home.
How Blatjang Is Made and Served
Making blatjang starts with the fruit, most classically dried apricots, chopped and softened, along with onion. This is cooked down with vinegar, sugar and warm spices, with cooks varying the blend to taste, and left to simmer until the mixture thickens to a glossy, jammy consistency that holds on a spoon. Some versions are smooth, others keep a little texture from the fruit, but the aim is always that thick, spreadable relish that balances sweet and sour with a mild, warming spice.
At the table, blatjang is wonderfully versatile. It is the classic partner to bobotie, the spiced baked mince dish it seems made for, and it sits just as happily beside curries and bredies, the slow South African stews. It is also a natural with cold meats and cheese, spooned onto a plate or spread on bread, and it lifts a simple sandwich or a piece of grilled meat. A little goes a long way, its sweet tang cutting through and rounding out richer, savoury food.
Why Blatjang Matters in South Africa
Blatjang is one of those foods that quietly defines a national table. Few South African kitchens are without a jar, and it turns up at everyday meals and Sunday lunches alike, the condiment that ties a plate together. Its Cape Malay roots are part of the story of South African cooking itself, a cuisine shaped by many influences, and blatjang carries that heritage of dried fruit and spice into ordinary daily eating.
More than that, it is comfort and familiarity in a jar. The taste of blatjang is bound up with home cooking and family meals, with the plate of bobotie and rice or the cheese sandwich made just so. For South Africans abroad it is one of the most missed and most sought-after tastes, proof of how much a good chutney can mean.
Where to Buy Blatjang in the UK
Blatjang is easy to find in Britain if you know where to look. African food shops that serve South African customers stock the well known commercial chutneys, Mrs H S Ball's among them, so you can buy a jar ready to spoon onto your plate. If you prefer to make your own, the same shops carry the dried apricots, vinegar, sugar and spices you need. A note for anyone who is sensitive: blatjang made with sulphured dried fruit will contain sulphites, so check the label, though otherwise it is generally allergen-light. To pick up a jar or the ingredients, you can find African food stores near you and see what is stocked nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What is blatjang?
Blatjang is a sweet and tangy South African fruit chutney, most classically made with dried apricots simmered with onions, vinegar, sugar and warm spices until thick and jammy. Of Cape Malay origin, it is a defining South African condiment served with bobotie, curries, bredies, cold meats and cheese. The best known commercial version is Mrs H S Ball's Chutney.
What does blatjang taste like?
Blatjang is sweet and tangy at the same time, balancing the sweetness of the fruit and sugar with the sourness of vinegar and a gentle, warming spice. The texture is thick and jammy, spoonable rather than runny, and the flavour is mellow and rounded rather than sharp. It is rich enough to cut through savoury food while still tasting fruity and comforting.
How is blatjang made?
Dried apricots and onion are simmered slowly with vinegar, sugar and warm spices until the mixture breaks down into a thick, jammy relish. Cooks vary the spice blend and the amount of sugar and vinegar to taste, and some keep a little fruit texture while others cook it smooth. The aim is always a glossy, spoonable chutney that balances sweet, sour and mild spice.
What do you eat blatjang with?
Blatjang is the classic partner to bobotie, the spiced South African baked mince dish, and it is also served with curries and bredies. It goes beautifully with cold meats and cheese, spooned onto a plate or spread on bread, and it lifts a simple sandwich or a piece of grilled meat. A little of its sweet tang balances out richer, savoury dishes.
Where can I buy blatjang in the UK?
Blatjang is sold by African food shops that serve South African customers, which stock the well known commercial chutneys such as Mrs H S Ball's, and the dried apricots and spices to make your own. If it is made with sulphured dried fruit it will contain sulphites, so check the label. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks it.
