Even though I was jazzed about trying the Swamp Scum Hot Sauce by Mossy Bayou Foods, I have to admit a guilty thought about it.

I was really wanting to review this product perhaps a little bit more. The fact is, that I really enjoy stuff like relishes, chutneys, and the like. So, when I saw the description of the Cajun Chow-Chow by Mossy Bayou Foods, I put this on the short list of stuff I wanted to try ASAP. So, what is this stuff called Chow-Chow? It’s a new product that is a pepper relish that is described liked this:

Ingredients: green cayenne peppers, vinegar, onions, garlic, salt & spices

This exciting Chow-Chow has been created from an original Cajun recipe which includes green Cayenne peppers, onions, garlic, salt, and special blend of spices. It’s a spicy relish which contains no ‘filler’ items, such as cabbage or corn. Use Cajun Chow-Chow with all foods to spice up the flavor in the same way you would use a pepper hot sauce. However, you’ll find the Chow-Chow gives a more complete pepper flavor.

Having just created a really nifty hot sauce with green chile peppers (see our Epidemic Proportions sauce), we can tell you that unripened peppers add a neat element of flavor compared to their ripened brethren.

Taste: Just by removing the jar’s lid, there’s no mistaking the garlic and onion aroma. It could dominate the whole room if you let it, which is great if you’re having issues with those pesky vampires hanging around your kitchen while you cook or eat. The straight taste will almost discourage you from using it with food. Not because it’s bad! It’s actually so good that you may want to just eat it right from the jar, which I did for the first few spoonfuls. There is that “green” flavor that you get from crisp unripened peppers, and the heat level is fairly respectable for cayenne peppers. Roughly a 7/10 on my personal heat scale. There is a bit of a vinegary bite to it, but it’s not so distracting as to take anything away from the peppery taste. Some relishes I’ve tried can go a little heavy on the salt, but this one’s salinity is just about right so you’re not reaching for your drink after each bite.

Larry from Mossy Bayou Foods had some cooking ideas for the Chow-chow, which included: great add to greens or beans, folded into some potato salad, or tossed as a big scoop into a pot of gumbo. All of these are fine choices, and I had actually tried those before he even suggested them. I slopped a big spoonful over nearly every garden salad I’ve eaten in the past week and just mixed it in with the greens and dressing…which was outstanding. Potato salad is one good choice, but I don’t each much of that. Rather, just about any other mayo-based salad (egg, tuna, chicken, macaroni) would benefit from a generous spoonful of this worked into the mix. It’s not just good with gumbo, either. Try it with any soup and you may be surprised at the results. Even those most mundane chicken noodle soup will be a lot more interesting with some of this mixed into it.

Overall recommendation: There’s a lot to like with this relish from Mossy Bayou Foods. Great pepper flavor, a moderate heat level, and all the garlic and onion you could shake a stick at makes this a must-have relish for those who like using them in their cooking. Don’t want to cook with it, per se? Just spread it over some bread with your cold-cut sandwich and you’ll smile with every bite. The best thing I can say about it is that I don’t have a molecule of it left in the jar at all. It had such a profoundly positive impression with my lunchtime co-worker crowd, that it was requested at every lunch for days. The main dislike? The jar’s simply not big enough. 6.4 ounces is way too small for most chileheads. Hey Larry, please send me another gallon of it. It ought to last about 2 weeks at most. Great product. Enjoy!