Chow Chow

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

1. Horseradish + mustardtop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,832 recipes

   Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

2. Allspice + clovetop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together7,874 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

3. Allspice + mustardtop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,928 recipes

   Shared aroma: methyleugenol (clove, spice).

4. Allspice + horseradishtop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together654 recipes

   Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

5. Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together17,451 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Green tomatoes

Form the bulk of the relish, giving body and a tart, fresh base once salted and drained.

Coarse sea salt

Draws moisture out of the chopped vegetables, firming their texture and concentrating flavor.

Onions

Add pungency and savory sweetness that mellows during the overnight rest.

White mustard seed

Provides sharp, pungent heat that softens and blends into the vinegar over time.

Vinegar

Adds acidity that preserves the mixture and gives it its sharp, tangy character.

The step that matters

Swap the tomato

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, pepper, allspice, clove, horseradish, mustard, vinegar):

1. Shallotfits better
2. Radishfits better
3. Broccolifits better
4. Tomatothe original

Fit is the average pairing score against onion, pepper, allspice, clove, horseradish, mustard, vinegar. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.