What pickled relish made from cabbage, onions, and green tomatoes is a Southern staple? Chow-chow is. This tangy, preserved vegetable relish commonly combines chopped green tomatoes, cabbage, onions, peppers, vinegar, and spices.
Chow-chow was a practical way to preserve seasonal garden produce, especially vegetables that might otherwise spoil at the end of the harvest. Recipes vary widely: some include carrots, cauliflower, beans, peas, or cucumbers, while others focus almost entirely on green tomatoes and cabbage. The mixture is usually brined or cooked with vinegar before being sealed in jars.
In the South, chow-chow is often served cold as a condiment alongside pinto beans, fish cakes, mashed potatoes, biscuits and gravy, hamburgers, or hot dogs. Its sweet-sour flavor adds brightness to hearty foods.
A common mix-up is piccalilli. The names can overlap in some American regions, and both are pickled vegetable relishes, but Southern culinary references most commonly use chow-chow for this green-tomato-based staple. The dish’s exact origin is disputed; theories connect it with the American South, Acadian migration, and Chinese railway workers.