Italians have their fabled "Mostarda"---fruit in mustard oil---emanating from the decadent days of Rome. Usually served w/ meats as a condiment. Most magnificently chopped than added to a pumpkin ravioli filling in a sauce of butter and sage invented by a talented Italian chef.
An enchanting addition to the dinner table, yes?
Elizabeth David's "Italian Food" describes the famed mostarda di frutta of Cremona: "whole fruits, pears, cherries, little oranges, figs, plums, apricots, and slices of melon and pumpkin, preserved in sugar syrup flavored with mustard oil....
Its origin goes back to the honey, mustard, oil and vinegar condiments of the Romans, who also preserved roots such as turnips in these mixtures.
David fondly recalls merchants in Milan selling the preserves from large wooden pails. Traditionally, mostarda di frutta would be served alongside cold boiled meats, fowl, and even roast eel.
Today its a wonderful accompaniment to a charcuterie platter, paired with strong cheeses, or served with roast fowl or boiled meats (as in the ancient days of Rome).