The standard ingredients of amba include pickled green what?

The standard ingredients of amba include pickled green mangoes.

Amba is a tangy condiment whose defining ingredient is unripe green mango preserved as a pickle. The standard ingredient list also includes vinegar, salt, turmeric, chilies, and fenugreek. Together, these create the condiment’s characteristic combination of sourness, heat, saltiness, and warm spice.

Amba is not one completely uniform recipe. Indian versions may add mustard seed, while Iraqi preparations can be chunkier and may include boiled turnips, carrots, potatoes, peaches, zucchini, okra, and additional spices. Commercial products range from thick, relish-like mixtures to thinner sauces sold in bottles or pouches. Despite those differences, green mango remains the central ingredient.

The condiment has connections to South Asian mango pickles and is strongly associated with Iraqi cuisine. In the 19th century, Jewish merchants from Baghdad traded with South Asia, and traditions surrounding amba developed along those commercial routes. The sauce later became especially popular in Israel after Iraqi Jewish immigrants brought it there in the 1950s.

Amba is often served with falafel, shawarma, sabikh, kebabs, fish, eggs, and hummus. Tomatoes, lemons, and olives may appear in other condiments or pickles, but they are not the standard defining ingredient here.