What is Chow-Chow Relish?

What is Chow-Chow? The short answer is “good”. Chow-chow has long been a favorite on pinto beans in the South and its appeal is even broader when you consider hot dogs, hamburgers, black-eyed peas and its use on various greens such as turnip greens and collards.

Chow-Chow Relish Ingredients

Chow-Chow (or Chow-Chow Relish) is made from chopped green tomatoes (and sometimes red tomatoes), cabbage, mustard seed or powder, onions, hot peppers, sweet peppers, and vinegar. Other optional ingredients include cucumbers, celery or celery seed, carrots, beans, asparagus, corn and cauliflower.

Unlike most condiments, Chow-Chow retains a chunky (chopped) texture and is not pureed. The taste can be sweet, tangy, hot or a combination thereof. It is typically served cold and like many foods, there are various varieties with an increasing availability of “hot” versions.

Chow-Chow Relish Origin & History

The origination of Chow-Chow is somewhat vague. There are known Chow-Chow recipes dating back to 1770 in the recipe book of Harriet Pinckney Horry of South Carolina. According to the book Southern Food (1993) by John Egerton, Ann Bleidt Egerton and Al Clayton, “Chow-Chow may be derived from the Mandarin Chinese word “cha” meaning mixed and goes back to the 1840s and the coming of Chinese laborers to California”. The Chinese were known to regularly ship spices and pickles to the U.S. and England. Other sources indicate the name may be based on the French word chou for cabbage. Yet, still others believe its roots might be from India.

Most believe that relishes originated from the need to preserve vegetables for winter. More specifically, its origination may have stemmed from using the end of season vegetables in the garden at the first frost. This notion is consistent with the word "relish", which first appeared in English in 1798 and comes from the word "reles" meaning "something remaining" in Old French. Regardless of when or where Chow-Chow originated, one thing is for sure in that it has been enjoyed in the Southern U.S. for well over 200 years.



There are several different types of relishes (e.g. Chow-Chow, Piccalilli, Pickle Relish and Chutney) and very gray lines in terms of distinguishing the differences between them.  Chow-Chow typically includes green tomatoes, cabbage mustard seed or mustard powder, some type of hot pepper (even if mild) and other ingredients.

• British Piccalilli typically includes cauliflower, mustard and turmeric along with other ingredients. Beans (e.g. green beans, lima beans, and kidney beans) are another common ingredient. Although cauliflower can be found in some Chow-Chows, it seems to be more of an optional ingredient. There is also an American version o f Picalilli, which typically includes finely chopped gherkins and is often associated with Chicago Style Hot Dogs. The food production brand, Crosse & Blackwell (since 1706) also indicates there is a Chow Chow Piccalilli, which is a “crunchy mustard and pickle relish originally developed by a famous 19th century British chef’.

• Chutney originated from India and typically includes a chopped fruit or vegetable as the primary ingredient along with additional seasonings. What is the difference between Chutney and Chow-Chow? Crosse & Blackwell’s web site states that chutney is typically made with fruit, whereas relish is normally made with vegetables. According to Wikipedia; however, this interpretation is not exactly accurate since India produces Chutney (from the Hindu word catni) using fruits or vegetables. The one consistent difference seems to be that Chutneys have a spreadable consistency that is consistent to preserves, whereas Chow-Chow is chunky but, without the “spreadable” consistency. Perhaps, the answer lies with who you ask.

• Pickle Relish is typically made with sweet pickles; however, you can find varieties that use dill pickles. Also, pickle relish is used very often on hot dogs and hamburgers.

If you are interested in making your own, then access our Chow-Chow, Relish and Chutney recipes. Of course the other option is to visit our store where you can shop for different varieties of Southern Chow-Chow Relish ranging from mild to Extra Hot (with Habaneros). We also carry hard-to-find Datil Pepper Relish.

Not sure which Chow-Chow or Relish is best for you? Visit our Chow-Chow and Relish Selection Guide.  This guide describes the differences in color, texture and flavor for each Chow-Chow Relish.