Mostarda is a northern Italian condiment of whole or sliced fruit candied in a clear, glossy sugar syrup that is sharply spiked with mustard essence. The result is startling: pieces of pear, quince, cherry, fig or apricot look like translucent jewels in preserving syrup, yet the first sweet bite gives way to a nose-clearing, wasabi-like heat. The most famous version, mostarda di Cremona, keeps the fruit whole and multicoloured; it is served alongside boiled meats (bollito misto), roast pork and rich aged cheeses, its sweet-hot bite cutting the fat exactly as a chutney or fruit relish does elsewhere.