Day 24

Chow Chow: Yesterday I went up to South Carolina to visit some family, and today I stopped in a little store with my grandfather to look for some fresh peaches. We didn't find any peaches for him, but the store also had an extensive selection of house-canned pickles, jellies, sauces and relishes. I spotted something that I'd heard about a lot growing up in the south, but never gotten around to trying: Chow Chow. I really had no idea what it was - maybe some kind of relish or condiment? I asked the lady at the counter what it was, and she said it was good, and could be eaten as a side dish or condiment. My grandfather recommended it as well. I decided to buy a jar - how could all these southerners be wrong?

I got it home and opened it up, and it smelled like it was gonna be a good mix of sweet/spicy. The version I bought was the hot Vidalia onion version, and it was made from a mix of sweet vidalias, jalapenos, vinegar, red peppers, and some spices. I took a taste, and it reminded me a lot of salsa, but a salsa made from onions and peppers instead of tomatoes. Really good, and super spicy - my forehead is still sweating a bit. Despite what the lady at the store said, I thought this would work better as a topping rather than a side. The GF said that her mom likes eating it on burgers, and that's something that I'll try in the near future. I could also imagine it as a good topping for hotdogs or sandwiches.

This is another southern classic that I highly recommend - go find some.