19th Century Condiments

In the U.S. vocabulary the word relish refers to condiment which normally contains vinegar, salt and sugar. The condiment might also contain chopped fruits or vegetables such as a "pickle relish". The word "relish" first appeared in English in 1798 and comes from the word "reles" which means in Old French, "something remaining".

At the end of the summer many homemakers collect what is left in the garden to make pickles and jams and jellies. In the nineteenth century it was common practice to combine a variety of vegetables in a vinegar or brine solution. These foods added flavor and color to meals. It was also an economical way to use the last of garden produce. Most believe relishes originated from the need to preserve vegetables for winter, and that its roots extend back to India, where chutney, India’s relish like condiment, goes back to the 1600s.

Pickling is one of the oldest methods of food preservation. Its history goes back four thousand years. It is a process of immersing food in vinegar or brine or a mixture of both. Meats and fish as well as fruits and vegetables can be preserved in this way. They add zest and contrast to other foods in a meal.

Victorian relishes in America were mostly chunky preserved pickled vegetables. And, the most valuable piece in Victorian china sets was is the relish tray. A refined Victorian table always had a relish tray with pickled onions, carrots, radish, cauliflower, pickles, and olives. It was our version of the Italian antipasto. The relish tray tradition met its end with commercial refrigeration in the 1930s and 1940s, and it was probably around this time that relishes became less chunky and more pureed and bland like the typical sweet pickle relish with which we adorn our hot dogs or what we add to our macaroni salads.

Chow-Chow

Chow-chow - An American term first used in the mid 19th century and refers to a mixture of pickled mixed vegetables in mustard. The origins are Chinese and the relish was a combination of orange peel, ginger combined along with assorted other ingredients put up in a syrup. One publication from 1837 suggests the original recipe was for "Yellow Pickle, or Axe-Jar".

Recipes for these condiments were passed down from generation to generation since Colonial times. Old cookbooks seldom included the recipes for chow-chow and piccalilli as mothers passed them down in handwritten form to their daughters. After the turn of the twentieth century canning processes were taken over by commercial concerns and many of the recipes were lost.

Chow-Chow is an American term applied to a mixture of chopped cucumbers, green tomatoes, onions and other vegetables in vinegar mixed with mustard, turmeric, celery seed and sugar. The mustard and turmeric add a bright yellow color to the pickled product and celery seed contributes a distinctive flavor. It was eaten on slices of homemade bread in the Sandburg home.

Use this relish the same way you would use American Pickle Relish. Today Chow-Chow isn’t served often in the Midwest. Some families in the South and along the eastern seaboard still enjoy the condiment. In the Southern U.S. you'd eat it with pinto beans or black eyed-peas. Serve it alongside lamb kabobs. Top your green fried tomatoes with chow chow. Add to sour cream to make a quick, tangy dip.

Piccalilli

In 1888, Heinz introduced a sour pickle relish known as Piccalilli. Legend had it that the recipe originated with Napoleon’s chef. It was a mix of green tomatoes, gherkin pickles, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, turmeric, mustard, vinegar, and spices, having a bright yellow color, rather than the green of today’s pickle relish. It, however was not as popular as the relish Heinz introduced the next year.

Piccalilli - Distinguished as a 'sour pickle relish' usually made with sour pickles and other vegetables such as cabbage, onions, green peppers, green tomatoes, celery, sugar, seasonings and vinegar. This was obviously a recipe for using and preserving garden vegetables.

Piccalilli is an adaptation of an Asian Indian relish which is popular in the United Kingdom. It contains cucumbers, green tomatoes, onions, spices, brown sugar and vinegar. Today it is served most often on Chicago-style hotdogs.

The Brits use Piccalilli alongside ham or with a meat terrine, to go with eggs, toast, and sausage. Serve it with cold chicken. Piccalilli pairs well with a good aged cheddar cheese. Top your hotdog or hamburger with this relish.

Indian Relish

In 1889 H. J. Heinz introduced India Relish to the U. S. and British markets. Originally a secret recipe, it was very loosely based on India relishes, featuring a sugared and vingared mix of pickled cucumbers, green tomatoes, cauliflower, white onions, red bell peppers, celery, mustard seed, cinnamon and allspice. Pickle relishes in India contained in addition to the American relish ingredients, sesame oil, lemon juice, ginger, and garlic, and sometimes even chopped mangos. Chutney is similar, with the addition of chili peppers and tomatoes.

India relish became Heinz’s best selling condiment, after his pickles and vinegar, until the ketchup boom during the late 1890s.

Chutney

You can slather chutney on a sandwich (goes very well with chicken). Serve it on your cheese board. Serve chutney alongside a good Indian Curry dish.

Pickle Relish

American pickle relish is used to top burgers and hotdogs. You can use it in salad dressing like Thousand Island. Add to potato salad. Add it your tuna salad. You can mix pickle relish with deviled ham to make a sandwich spread. Many people add pickle relish to egg salad.