What’s in a name? Definitions for chutney, relish, pickle and salsa

Sometimes the terms chutney, relish and even pickle are used interchangeably. The following definitions from Sarah B. Hood help to clarify.

Chutney: A fairly thick (and usually chunky) sauce made from fruit and vegetables, sugar, vinegar and spices; most often used when a recipe contains dried fruit (like raisins) along with fresh ingredients; can be sweet and sour or hot and spicy.

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Pickle: This can be a catch-all term for almost any food (whole or in pieces) preserved in a vinegar and salt brine, but old-fashioned recipes or cookbooks might use “pickle” to describe something that today would be called chutney or relish.

Relish: A savoury sauce made with fairly finely chopped vegetables and/or fruit with vinegar and sugar.

Salsa: Most often a tomato-based savoury sauce containing hot peppers and other strong spices.

Source: “We Sure Can! How Jams and Pickles are Reviving the Lure and Lore of Local Food” by Sarah B. Hood (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2011).