What does chowchow mean?
Chowchow is a pickled relish made from a hodgepodge of chopped vegetables — commonly cabbage, bell peppers, onions, and green tomatoes — preserved in a sweetened vinegar brine and often seasoned with mustard seed or other spices. A fixture of Southern and Pennsylvania Dutch home cooking, it is traditionally put up in jars at summer's end as a way of using the last of the garden's produce, then served alongside beans, greens, hot dogs, sandwiches, and barbecue. A secondary sense refers to a preserve of fruit or ginger cooked in thick syrup. The word derives from Chinese Pidgin English, in which 'chow-chow' meant food generally or a mixture of things, and its very name reflects the jumbled assortment of ingredients in the jar. Informal and regional in register, chowchow evokes rural kitchens, family tradition, and resourceful preservation, and it remains a cherished condiment wherever garden surplus meets a mason jar.
nounA pickled relish made from a mixture of chopped vegetables such as cabbage, peppers, onions, and green tomatoes, typically preserved in vinegar and sweetened or spiced. The term can also refer to a preserve of fruits or ginger cooked in syrup.
- A sweet-and-sour pickled relish of mixed chopped vegetables, popular in Southern US cooking.
- A preserve of fruit or ginger cooked in heavy syrup.
"She stirred a spoonful of chowchow into her beans, adding a tangy sweetness to the dish."
"Grandma's chowchow, packed into quart jars every autumn, disappeared by midwinter."
"He topped the hot dog with mustard, onions, and a generous scoop of chowchow."
Rarely pluralized since the relish is treated as a mass noun; when pluralized, it refers to multiple jars or varieties.
"The pantry shelf held a dozen chowchows from summers past."
The same word that names a fluffy Chinese dog breed also names a beloved Southern pickle — and both trace back to pidgin English for 'food.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chowchow
Chowchow entered English via Chinese Pidgin English, where 'chow-chow' was used to mean food, a meal, or a miscellaneous mixture — likely derived ultimately from a Chinese word related to mixing or cooking, though the exact source is debated. The term reached America in the nineteenth century and came to be applied specifically to the mixed vegetable pickle familiar in Southern cuisine. It shares this pidgin root with 'chow,' an informal word for food, and possibly with 'chow mein.'
How chowchow is actually used
Chowchow belongs primarily to informal, regional American usage, especially in the South, where it is a staple of home canning and country cooking. It carries warm, nostalgic connotations tied to family recipes and farm kitchens. Spelling varies — it appears as one word, hyphenated, or as two words.
Easily confused with chowchow
"Chow chow" also names a breed of thick-coated Chinese dog, whereas "chowchow" as one word refers to the pickled vegetable relish; context usually makes clear which is meant.
Piccalilli is a British mustard-based pickle of vegetables in yellow sauce, while American chowchow relies on vinegar brine and sugar rather than mustard.