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Glite Dictionary
🥒 A pickled relish 🍯 A sweet preserve
chowchow

chowchow

8.2
A spicy pickled mix of chopped vegetables often served with Southern food
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃaʊˌtʃaʊ/
  • US
translation icon : chowchow
  • Cabbage, green tomatoes, and onions are the basic ingredients for all chowchows.

Examples

  • She served homemade chowchow alongside the pulled pork sandwiches.

  • She made a delicious dish with chowchow yesterday.

  • A jar of spicy chowchow added a tangy kick to the meal.

  • Many Southern families have their own recipes for chowchow.

  • I love adding chowchow to my sandwiches.

  • Southern peas served with sweet-and-spicy chowchow are the stuff memories are made of.

  • While a mound of chowchow with a dish of peas is a staple, which type to serve can be hotly contested.

Synonyms

relish
vschowchow
16 3.2

A sauce made from chopped vegetables or fruit used to add flavor to food

is the specific pickled form often seasoned with mustard and popular regionally
pickle relish
vschowchow
1 2.0

A sweet, chopped topping of cucumbers in vinegar used on burgers and hot dogs

is more vegetable focused and mustard seasoned rather than mainly sweet
piccalilli
vschowchow
  • UK
1 9.3

A chunky mix of chopped pickled vegetables in mustard and spices

is tied to southern United States cuisine rather than a generic regional origin

Surface Forms

chowchow singular
chowchows plural

Etymology

Chowchow probably comes from a Chinese or Pacific trade word that meant 'mixed' or 'assorted'. So the name fit jars of many chopped vegetables and pickles, which is why chowchow today means a spicy pickled relish made from mixed vegetables.