Is achar vegan and gluten-free?

Achar is built from fruit, vegetables, oil, salt, acid, and spices, so most jars are naturally vegan and gluten-free. But it is worth knowing what to check before you buy.

Why most achar is vegan

Traditional achar is preserved with mustard oil and salt, not with dairy, eggs, honey, or meat. Fruit and vegetable pickles such as mango, lemon, lapsi, garlic, and cauliflower carrot contain nothing animal at all, so they are vegan by default. The same is true of gundruk, which is fermented greens.

Why most achar is gluten-free

The base ingredients, fruit, vegetables, mustard oil, turmeric, chili, fenugreek, and timur, do not contain gluten. Achar is not thickened with wheat flour and is not brewed with barley or malt, so a plain oil-based pickle is gluten-free.

What to watch for

• Meat achar. Chicken, buff, and fish pickles are obviously not vegan, even though they are usually gluten-free.
• Add-ins. A few cooks add a spoon of yogurt or a dairy-based ingredient to mellow a pickle. Ask if you are unsure.
• Cross-contact. In a home kitchen that also handles meat, utensils and surfaces can be shared. If that matters to you, ask how the jars are made.
• Packaged pickles. Mass-market jars sometimes add preservatives, colour, or flour. Read the label.

Our jars

Our fruit and vegetable achar are made with oil, salt, and spices, so they are vegan and gluten-free. Our meat jars, chicken, buff, and pork, are cooked and preserved the traditional way, so they are not vegan.

If you have an allergy or a strict diet, tell us when you order and we will confirm exactly what is in the jar. Browse the vegan-friendly collection or read what achar is.