A relish is a cooked and

pickled Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects the food's texture and flavor. The resulting food is called ...

product made of chopped

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

s or

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

s and is a food item typically used as a

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to impart a specific Flavoring, flavor, to enhance the flavor, or to complement the dish. A table condiment or table sauce is more specifically a condiment that is serv ...

to enhance a staple. Examples are

chutney A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sauce. ...

s and the North American relish, a

pickled cucumber A pickled cucumber (commonly known as a pickle in the United States and Canada and a gherkin in Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand) is a usually small or miniature cucumber that has been pickled in a brine, vinegar, or ...

jam eaten with

hot dog A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced Hot dog bun, bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener (Vienna sausag ...

s or

hamburger A hamburger, or simply burger, is a food consisting of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically Ground beef, beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. Hamburgers are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles ...

s. In North America, the word "relish" is frequently used to describe a single variety of finely-chopped pickled cucumber relish, such as pickle, dill and sweet relishes. Kyopoolu bg

Relish generally consists of discernible vegetable or fruit pieces in a

sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French word t ...

, although the sauce is subordinate in character to the vegetable or fruit pieces. Herbs may also be used, and some relishes, such as

chermoula Chermoula ( Berber: ''tacermult'' or ''tacermilt'', ar, شرمولة) or charmoula is a marinade and relish used in Algerian, Libyan, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking. It is traditionally used to flavor fish or seafood, but it can be used on other ...

, are prepared entirely using herbs and spices. Relish can consist of a single type or a combination of vegetables and fruit, which may be coarsely or finely chopped; its texture will vary depending on the slicing style used for these solid ingredients, but generally a relish is not as smooth as a sauce-type condiment such as

ketchup Ketchup or catsup is a table condiment with a sweet and tangy flavor. The unmodified term ("ketchup") now typically refers to tomato ketchup, although early recipes used egg whites, mushrooms, oysters, grapes, mussels, or walnuts, among other ...

. Relish typically has a strong flavor that complements or adds to the primary food item with which it is served.

Varieties

This is a list of notable relishes. *

Ajika Ajika or adjika (, ) is a Georgian- Abkhazian hot, spicy, but subtly flavored dip, often used to flavor food. In 2018, the technology of ajika was inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia list. The name derives from the Abkhaz w ...

Ajvar Ajvar ( ; Cyrillic script: Ajвар, Aйвар) is a condiment made principally from sweet bell peppers and eggplants. The relish became a popular side dish throughout Yugoslavia after World War II and is popular in Southeast Europe. Homemade ...

* Achar *

Atchara ''Atchara'' (also spelled ''achara'' or ''atsara'') is a pickle made from grated unripe papaya originating from the Philippines. This dish is often served as a side dish for fried or grilled foods such as pork barbecue. History The nam ...

Bostongurka Bostongurka (Swedish meaning "Boston cucumber") is a type of relish with pickled gherkins, red bell pepper and onion with spices such as mustard seeds. It is so popular in Sweden that it is considered by some to be a generic term. Despite its ...

Biber salçası Biber may refer to: * Biber (surname) * Biber (geology), a timespan in the glacial history of the Alps * ''Biber'' (submarine), a World War II German midget submarine * Biber, a bridge-carrying version of the German Leopard 1 tank * Biber (LaTeX ...

* Branston relish *

Chakalaka Chakalaka is a South African vegetable relish, usually spicy, that is traditionally served with bread, pap, samp, stews, or curries. Chakalaka may have originated in the townships of Johannesburg or on the gold mines surrounding Johannesburg, w ...

Chermoula Chermoula ( Berber: ''tacermult'' or ''tacermilt'', ar, شرمولة) or charmoula is a marinade and relish used in Algerian, Libyan, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking. It is traditionally used to flavor fish or seafood, but it can be used on other ...

Chow-chow The Chow Chow is a spitz-type of dog breed originally from northern China. The Chow Chow is a sturdily built dog, square in profile, with a broad skull and small, triangular, erect ears with rounded tips. The breed is known for a very dense ...

Chrain ( cs, křen; sk, chren; german: Meerrettich or ; pl, chrzan; ro, hrean; russian: хрен, khren; uk, хрiн, khrin; yi, כריין, khreyn; he, חזרת, khazeret; meaning "horseradish" in all these languages) is a spicy paste made of g ...

Chutney A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sauce. ...

Cranberry Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus ''Oxycoccus'' of the genus ''Vaccinium''. In Britain, cranberry may refer to the native species ''Vaccinium oxycoccos'', while in North America, cranberry ...

relish * Ćwikła – Polish beet relish *

Dill Dill (''Anethum graveolens'') is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae. It is the only species in the genus ''Anethum''. Dill is grown widely in Eurasia, where its leaves and seeds are used as a herb or spice for flavouring food. Growth ...

relish *

Doenjang ''Doenjang'' * (; "thick sauce") or soybean paste is a type of fermented bean paste made entirely of soybean and brine. It is also a byproduct of soup soy sauce production. It is sometimes used as a relish. History The earliest soybean fe ...

Gentleman's Relish Gentleman's Relish is a British commercial brand of anchovy paste. It is also known as Patum Peperium (meaning 'pepper paste' in Latin). Created in 1828 by an Englishman named John Osborn, it is a savoury paste with a salty and slightly fishy tast ...

– was invented in 1828 by John Osborn and contains spiced anchovy. It is traditionally spread sparingly atop unsalted butter on toast. *

Giardiniera Giardiniera (, ) is an Italian relish of pickled vegetables in vinegar or oil. Varieties and uses Italian giardiniera is also called sottaceti ("under vinegar"), a common term for pickled foods. It is typically eaten as an antipasto or with s ...

Gochujang ''Gochujang'' (, from Korean: , ) or red chili paste * is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, ''meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

relish *

Lecsó Lecsó ( en, Lecho, ; hu, lecsó ; Czech and Slovak: ''lečo''; german: Letscho; pl, leczo; Russian and ua, лечо) is a Hungarian thick vegetable ragout or stew which traditionally contains yellow pointed peppers, tomato, onion, salt, a ...

Ljutenica ''Ljutenica'', ''lyutenitsa'' or ''lutenica'' (, , ; ''lyuto'' or ''luto'' meaning "hot") is a (sometimes spicy) vegetable relish or chutney in Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian cuisines. The ingredients include peppers, aubergines, carrots, ...

Kachumbari Kachumbari is a fresh tomato and onion salad dish that is popular in the cuisines of the African Great Lakes region. It is an uncooked salad dish consisting of chopped tomatoes, onions, and chili peppers. Variations of kachumbari can be found in ...

– common in East Africa * Kimchi relish – prepared using

kimchi ''Kimchi'' (; ko, 김치, gimchi, ), is a traditional Korean side dish of salted and fermented vegetables, such as napa cabbage and Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including ''gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), sprin ...

as a main ingredient *

Kyopolou Kyopolou ( bg, Кьопоолу, more often ; tr, KöpoğluIn Turkey this dish is colloquially called ''köpoğlu'' and in meze-serving fish restaurants it is a cold eggplant dish with tomato-red pepper paste in olive oil which gives it the r ...

Kuchela Sudama (), also known as Kuchela (), is a childhood friend of the Hindu deity Krishna. The story of his visit to Dvaraka to meet his friend is featured in the Bhagavata Purana. In their legend, Sudama and Krishna study together as children a ...

Mango pickle A mango pickle is a variety of pickling, pickle prepared using mango. It is very popular in South Asian pickles, South and Southeast Asia. These sour/spicy pickles are also available commercially. Varieties The pickling process in India dif ...

* Mixed pickles *

Mostarda ''Mostarda di frutta '' (sometime also called ''mostarda'') is a Northern Italian condiment made of candied fruit and a mustard-flavoured syrup. Commercially the essential oil of mustard is employed, which has the advantage of transparency; in ho ...

– prepared as a relish, fruit pickle, fruit preserve or chutney *

Muhammara ''Muhammara'' ( ar, محمرة "reddened") or mhammara is a spicy dip made of walnuts, red bell peppers, pomegranate molasses, and breadcrumbs. It is associated with Aleppo, but can also be found in Turkey, especially in southeastern regions, wh ...

Matbucha Matbucha ( he, מטבוחה ''maṭbūkhah'') is a Moroccan Jewish condiment or cooked salad consisting of cooked tomatoes and roasted bell peppers seasoned with garlic and chili pepper, and slow-cooked for a number of hours. It is traditional ...

Pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the p ...

relish *

Pebre Pebre is a Chilean condiment made of coriander and/or parsley, chopped onion, vinegar, a neutral oil, ground or pureed spicy aji peppers, and usually chopped tomatoes. Pebre is most commonly used on bread. It is also used on meat, or when meat su ...

Piccalilli Piccalilli, or mustard pickle, is a British interpretation of South Asian pickles, a relish of chopped and pickled vegetables and spices.Spelling as per The Chambers Dictionary, 1994, . Regional recipes vary considerably. Etymology The ''Oxford ...

Pickled cucumber A pickled cucumber (commonly known as a pickle in the United States and Canada and a gherkin in Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand) is a usually small or miniature cucumber that has been pickled in a brine, vinegar, or ...

Pico de gallo ''Pico de gallo'' (, ), also called ''salsa fresca'' ('fresh sauce'), ''salsa bandera'' ('flag sauce'), and ''salsa cruda'' ('raw sauce'), is a type of salsa commonly used in Mexican cuisine. It is traditionally made from chopped tomato, onio ...

Pinđur Pindjur or pinjur or pinđur (, , , ) is a relish form and is commonly used as a summer spread. Pindjur is commonly prepared in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Serbia and North Macedonia. The traditional ingredients include red bell ...

Salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...

Tapenade Tapenade (; oc, tapenada ) is a Provençal name for a spread, condiment and culinary ingredient consisting of puréed or finely chopped olives, capers, and anchovies. Its name comes from the Provençal word for capers, ''tapenas'' (). It is a ...

Vinagrete Vinagrete, or molho campanha is a typical Brazilian condiment made of chopped tomato, chopped onion, olive oil, vinegar, either parsley or sweet peppers, and salt. It usually accompanies salads, grilled meat, feijoada, pastel and roasted chicken ...

In the United States, the most common commercially available relishes are made from pickled cucumbers and are known in the food trade as pickle relishes. Pickle relish is one of the most commonly used spreads in the U.S. Two variants of this are hamburger relish (pickle relish in a ketchup base or sauce) and hot dog relish (pickle relish in a mustard base or sauce). Another readily available commercial relish in the U.S. is corn (maize) relish.

Heinz The H. J. Heinz Company is an American food processing company headquartered at One PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Henry J. Heinz in 1869. Heinz manufactures thousands of food products in plants on six conti ...

, Vlasic, and Claussen are well known in the U.S. as producers of pickled cucumbers and pickle relishes.

Chicago-style relish Chicago-style relish is a type of sweet pickle relish typically used on Chicago-style hot dogs.Zeldes, Leah (July 20, 2010)"Origins of Neon Relish and Other Chicago Hot Dog Conundrums", ''Dining Chicago''. Retrieved July 19, 2016. The unique colo ...

is a sweet pickle relish that is a standard ingredient on the

Chicago-style hot dog A Chicago-style hot dog, Chicago Dog, or Chicago Red Hot is an all-beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun, originating from the city of Chicago, Illinois. The hot dog is topped with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, bright green sweet pick ...

. Pickle relish is an important ingredient in many varieties of the U.S. version of

tartar sauce Tartar sauce (French: ''sauce tartare''; spelled tartare sauce in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, South Africa) is a condiment made of mayonnaise, chopped pickles and/or relish, capers, and herbs such as tarragon and dill. Tarta ...

. File:Coconut and Mango Chutney (chammandi).jpg, A coconut-mango

File:Gentleman's Relish (cropped).jpg,

File:Mostarda vincentina - 20071207.jpg, Homemade

mostarda ''Mostarda di frutta '' (sometime also called ''mostarda'') is a Northern Italian condiment made of candied fruit and a mustard-flavoured syrup. Commercially the essential oil of mustard is employed, which has the advantage of transparency; in ho ...

References

External links

USDA Standards for Grades of Pickles (including relishes)

Relishes at recipe source
{{Lists of prepared foods Condiments Pickles Sauces Fruit dishes Vegetable dishes

Varieties

See also

References

Further reading

External links